Sinister Intentions
by RogueMoon
Summary: The Devil Man told them to run. So run they did. Away from the smell of death that permeated the tunnels they could no longer call home. Post X3: The massacre is only the beginning.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: The standard don't own anything but my own imagination, etc, etc applies.

**::: :::**

**Sinister Intentions**

A X-Men: MovieVerse Fanfiction

Written by RogueMoon

Chapter One

**::: :::**

"They call themselves the Morlocks," Ororo Munroe's voice flowed over the dark lecture hall as the screen behind her flicked through pictures of mutants who could give the needy kids in Africa a run for their pity money with the squalor they apparently lived in. "They reside in the sewers beneath New York City as well as the natural tunnel network that riddles the cliffs of Westchester County. They choose to live beneath ground, where they feel they are free of the prosecution rampant in the streets above. Hundreds of your fellow mutants."

A mummer seemed to rumble like a wave through the student body, followed by the sound of pencils and pens scratching at paper. Note taking. Sociology Class.

"The X-Men first encountered them two years ago. Since that time we have helped to create a tunnel network that links the Morlocks' home to the below ground facilities of the School where we now help them with regular health check ups and studies for the children and adults that wish it. They, in turn, help with the study of nocturnal and underground bio-systems. And whatever else they can, including rebuilding the school when necessary."

A small chuckle ran through the room. _Intensive Rebuilding the Mansion_ was a required shop course whenever the upper floors happened to be torn down. With Magneto's powers neutralized by the Cure, the students had gotten a break from the credit hours. He had been the most destructive when it came to enemy 'house calls'.

"The Morlocks were hostile towards us at first. Can anyone tell me why that might be?"

Several hands raised. Ororo smiled and pointed at a girl with pink hair and bones sticking out from her body, "Sarah."

The other hands went down and the girl stood, "Because the other hands of friendship the Morlocks had been extended in the past were only ruses to try and get in our confidence and then betray us. Several of the betrays were done by the pretty ones and it was hard for any of us to believe that there would not be a price to pay for accepting help from the prettiest of them all."

Ororo's smile widened, "Thank you, Sarah. You may sit down."

Once the girl had done so, the teacher continued, "It was an issue of trust. The entire culture of the Morlocks is based on trust. The 'pretty ones' as they call those mutants who can blend in with regular humans were just as untrustworthy to them as regular humans. Based entirely on the groups' interaction with a very select section of the above ground mutant population. The Morlocks had only existed for approximately five years prior to the X-Men's first encounter with them and the shared experiences, whether together or on an individual basis, helped them as a group develop unstated social rules. A culture unto itself, just as deep and developed as those expressed in older societies.

"The X-Men had to prove to them that they could be trusted. Part of that came from an exchange of goods and services. The Morlocks learned never to take anything at face value. Within their culture, there is always a price. Even amongst each other. More so with outsiders.

"By asking for an exchange of goods and services, we established a mutually beneficial alliance. Just as countries like the United States and Britain have. What do you believe the most beneficial exchange has been? On both sides. The most beneficial good or service the Morlocks have gotten from the exchange and the most beneficial good or service the X-Men and the School have received. And do leave your hands up, I want multiple opinions on this. Yes, Mr. Cassidy."

The boy lowered his hand and nodded towards the screen, "I think the Morlocks benefit most from access to the School."

"And the School?"

"I don't really know. Students to teach?"

Ororo chuckled and pointed at a different student, "Ms. Lee."

"Like... I think they both benefit from having a safe haven."

"Do elaborate."

"Well, like... you know... The Morlocks have a place to go when then need to get out of the tunnels and the School has a great place to evacuate to when people decide to try and blow us up or kidnap us or stuff."

Storm smiled broadly, "Well thought out, Ms. Lee. Mr. Drake?"

Bobby shifted in his seat, lowering his hand, "I think the Morlocks benefit most from the aid they receive. The health care and supplies so they don't have to live in really bad conditions. The School benefits the most... I think Jube's answer is a really good one. But the School also gets free labor if necessary And what extra food the Morlocks can provide from whatever it is they can grow down there. The School benefits by being able to operate at full capacity on a shoe-string budget."

"That is an excellent observation, Mr. Drake," she glanced at the clock and waved her hand to have the lights brought up by the student nearest the switch. "Homework for the weekend, class. I want a three page paper on what you believe the Morlocks and the School get from their relationship and if it the benefits are fair to both sides. Why you feel this way and what you would do to correct it if you do not feel the relationship is fair. Eleven point, Times New Roman, single spaced. Title and by line cannot take up more than four lines on the page. On my desk at the start of class on Tuesday."

The bell rang and the students tucked their supplies away, heading to the next period.

"One moment, Sarah, if you would," Ororo called out to the young lady. The girl walked up to the desk and waited until the teacher spoke, "That was first time you've ever volunteered to answer any of my questions in class. I'm very proud of you."

The girl grinned and blushed, ducking her head. One of the Morlock children who chose to attend classes, Sarah was notorious for being silent. This was quite a break through for her.

"You may go now. I don't want you late to English because of me."

Sarah nodded and ran out. Ororo watched, glad to have her in class. It was a difficult elective, but Sarah had insisted on being in it despite being almost three years younger than the rest. The girl had barely passed the assessment with a score that would allow her to take an advanced course. But she was diligent and kept her grades up, and had never been a problem. The staff was no longer worried about her being able to keep up. Outside of some difficulty with being able to write, the child had been an exemplary student.

**::: :::**

After her last class of the day, Sarah gathered her books and headed to the elevator that would take her to the hanger bay with the other Morlock students. Next to the elevator was the door to the tunnels they called home. The X-Men had been really good about making sure the tunnels they had cleared and built were clean and kept that way.

Detentions for a majority of the pretty ones consisted of keeping the passages clean and clear of debris. Sarah giggled as she met up with the thirty or so other Morlock children who would be making the long trek back to the New York Network for the weekend. They tended to stay in the facilities under the school during the week so they wouldn't have to go far for class. But the majority of them had family several miles south, in the tunnels beneath the City.

Once down the elevator and into the tunnels, Sarah jumped on the back of Piper, a mutant who could control animals with sound. He laughed at her and helped her get comfortable as he let her piggy back. Once her legs were firmly around his waist and he was sure she wouldn't fall – this was a regular occurrence for the two – he pulled out his flute and began playing a happy tune.

About the time they reached the edge of the School grounds (had they been above ground), the animals of the tunnels began following the group of kids. Just like the Pied Piper, he called them and had them follow. Protecting the students on their walk home.

A half hour passed, the kids talking about homework and what they would be doing over the weekend as they walked. Sarah's nosed twitched as she found herself getting a feeling that something was wrong. The others didn't seem to feel it, the way they kept talking and walking.

She let out a small 'o' and slid off Piper's back, causing the boy to stop, though his music kept going. Sarah bit her lip and looked around, "Annalee's not here."

The rest of the group paused when she spoke and looked back at her. Piper's eyebrows scrunched in confusion, he couldn't stop playing with the animal guard still there, and looked around the cavern. Annalee usually met them here to walk them back to the encampment.

Sally pushed herself to the center of the group, "Do you guys think something happened to her? Piper, send the animals away."

Piper did so as the rest began whispering to each other about it, all of them now wary of their surroundings.

"Anyone smell that?" Maria whispered, her feline nose twitching as she caught a scent that she really didn't like.

The others shook their head and Sally asked, "What is it?"

"Smells like death."

The sound of rock crumbling down one of the side passages caught all their attention. Two red pinpricks of light, like glowing, evil eyes, stared back at them.

"It is death, _mes enfantes_," a soft, male voice poured over them like honey from those same shadows. As one, they shivered.

The crunch of a footfall and he took a single step forward. Enough for them to see he wore a long dark coat that shifted gently over what appeared to be steal boots. Enough for them to see his smile. Like a wolf eying its prey.

"If ya don' want de death ta be yours, _mes enfantes_, I suggest ya turn tail and run as fast as dose little legs can carry ya," his left hand slipped lazily out of his pocket, twirling something in his fingers that after a few rotations elongated into a metal pole. The other hand brought a cigarette to his lips where it seemed to light of its own accord.

He inhaled deeply and blew the smoke out, lazily. The kids hadn't moved. To terrified to think. Or perhaps too charmed by his voice to know what to do. His staff began to glow pink and he slammed the end of it into the ground, causing an explosion of rock where it hit. The room brightening for a moment and revealing him in full to the stunned children.

He grinned like a madman. His devil eyes glowing as he poured on the charm, "Run fast, _petites_, I can' kill what I can' catch, _oui_?"

And ran they did. Back through the tunnels. Back to the school. Back for help. His laughter followed them, nipping at their heels and telling them not to stop. Not for anything.

**::: :::**

When the X-men made it back to the Morlock settlement, it was too late. He was gone. Whomever was with him was gone. And every other Morlock, down to the last infant, was dead. Some gutted and hung upon the walls like trophies.

It was Wolverine who dashed their hopes that those in New York had survived. The smell made it more than clear they hadn't. The Morlocks had been massacred.

**::: :::**

End Chapter


	2. Chapter 2

**Sinister Intentions**

A X-Men: MovieVerse Fanfiction

Written by RogueMoon

Chapter Two

**::: :::**

He stormed through the halls. His footfalls as silent as the dead despite his current mood. It was second nature to him and only concentrated effort to announce his presence would ever change the way he walked.

The doctor was waiting for him, of course, as he moved through the door to the lab. The doctor was always waiting for him after a mission. Waiting to make sure he was in good health. Any wounds seen to immediately

One fine eyebrow lifted as the doctor glanced towards him, the exam table and proper instruments ready. The red eyes looking out of the pale white face bored to the extreme. Red diamond on his forehead glowing slightly. A sigh escaped the doctor's lips, "I see you are angry again. And what, pray tell, is the cause of this particular tantrum?"

"You sent dem ta kill dem all," Gambit bit back even as he approached the table, removing his coat and shirt.

"They were genetic dead ends, Remington. A group of failed experiments by that delusional clone of Dr. McCoy. There was no point in letting them dilute the gene pool," the doctor replied coolly as the other pushed himself onto the table, legs swinging like a petulant child.

"Dey did not'ing ta deserve dat, Sinister," Gambit replied. He shivered as the cold disk of the stethoscope pressed against his chest.

"Deep breath now, Remington."

A breath was taken.

"I expect you saved some of them, then?"

The Cajun man gave Sinister a defiant glare, "An' if I did?"

"How many, Remington?"

Gambit looked away, his glare boring into the wall, "Don' know."

The press of fingernails into his arm, hard enough to draw blood, brought a hiss from the deviled eyed man. Sinister's eyes glowing as he spoke, "Don't press me, boy. I am not in the mood to indulge your foolish emotions for much longer."

Remy cringed, flinching from the voice, " 'Bout thirty. Children. On dere way back from school."

The nails left and a moment later, the doctor was cleaning the wounds and applying band aids to the two that needed them. The physical continued, "The Xavier Institute?"

"Yeah. A couple o' dem had school patches."

"They were walking back above ground?"

"_Non._"

Sinister paused and looked at his servant, "Below ground?"

Gambit didn't meet his eyes as he nodded, "_Oui._"

"So they have a tunnel that leads into the school?"

"Mos' likely. De grounds at de very least."

"You didn't follow to find out?"

Remy shook his head, shrugging a bit as the doctor's hands checked his lymph glands, "Didn't want Creed ta find dem. Had ta get back b'fore he could track me."

Another sigh left the doctor as he took his hands from Gambit and wrote down the results in his meticulously kept files, "Just children? They were the only ones to escape?"

"_Oui._ None over fifteen, seventeen at best."

A nod of the mans' head before he looked back at his patient, "You may leave now."

Gambit remained where he was, hands clenching on the edge of the table. Legs stopping their nervous motion.

Sinister turned around completely and clasped his arms behind his back, "You wish to say something?"

"You lied ta me."

"Did I?"

"You said dat I was just to lead dem around de encampment, so'd dey know where ta avoid in de future."

"I see no lie in what I told you. I fully expect them to avoid the encampment in the future. That was the role I assigned you."

"Den why did dey kill dem?"

Sinister chuckled and walked over to Gambit, reaching a hand up to brush the long bangs of the Cajun's auburn away from his face. The fingers trailed down to the man's chin and forced him to look up, devil eyes meeting demon eyes, "I ordered them to kill the Morlocks. Just because I want my Marauders to avoid that section of the tunnels for the time being, it does not mean that I wanted them any less removed from the gene pool. I have never lied to you, Remington. And I never will. There is simply no point to it. However, I do no have to share with you the orders I give to others. So long as you follow the ones I give you, you need not concern yourself with my affairs."

The fingers left his chin and Gambit looked away, shame and disgust that he couldn't hide in the presence of his 'lord and master'. Sinister touched his shoulder, pushing him slightly and Remy slipped himself off the table, pulling his shirt back on, followed by his coat. Without another word, he left the lab, lighting a cigarette in spite of the no smoking rule the doctor had.

It was more than petty. He knew he wouldn't get in trouble for it though. Sinister indulged him like a favored pet. It was humiliating, but it allowed him more freedom than the others. He could deal with it. Had to deal with it.

**::: :::**

"I know this hurts to think about, but we need to know what he looked like. Calling him 'The Devil Man' does us no good," Ororo spoke softly to one of the younger Morlock children, holding a pad of paper and a pack of colored pencils out to him. "You are a very talented artist, Erg. You can use that talent now to give us a picture of who you met. With this picture, we can do much more to try and find those responsible and bring them to justice."

The boy who called himself Erg took the pad of paper and the pencils and began to scribble. The first picture was just a pair of eyes. Smiling, dangerous, devil eyes. Red pupils on a field of black.

The next picture was a figure shrouded in shadow, the outline of a long coat the second most defining thing about it. The first were the eyes gazing out from under shaggy hair. The red on black eyes. Devil eyes.

It was what the other children had drawn, too. Most of them couldn't do much more than basic figures. All of them had attempted to do the coat. Some had drawn him holding a glowing stick. But it was the eyes that they remembered the best. Those smiling, dangerous, devil eyes.

Erg's third picture was more dynamic. As if he was drawing from a movie still. The glowing stick was stuck in the ground, the rock and dirt exploding upward. Light spilling over the crouching man, showing off his sculpted features. He was a pretty one, this Devil Man. And the eyes. The devil eyes.

**::: :::**

Hours later, Logan was in New York working the bars. Flashing a head shot of the man with devil eyes at those who would best know about these things. By the time he got back to the institute that night he had gotten only one clue as to the man's identity. The word 'Gambit'. Code name perhaps. It wasn't much. But it was something he could take to SHIELD and ask them about. They owed him.

The mansion smelled like death as he walked through the door. Everyone knew about the massacre now. Many of the older students had volunteered to help give the victims a proper burial. To clean the place up. It would take days, of course. And Ororo had already called in some favors to have the tunnels under New York taken care of. The bodies cremated and the ashes brought to a cavern closer to the school where all the remains would be entombed. The surviving children had asked for it.

He couldn't stand the smell. He couldn't leave though. The students looked up to him. They needed him. When had he gotten so soft?

**::: :::**

Rogue snapped another picture of the cavern floor. In the spot that Sarah had said the Devil Man had appeared. A small crater the only apparent evidence of his passing. She swept her flashlight into the darkness beyond the circle of light the tunnel lanterns shed, eyes peeled for anything odd.

The southern girl might not have her powers anymore, but she was determined to still be useful to the only family she had left. Gathering evidence while others helped prepare the bodies and clean up the blood and gore further down the tunnels was something she could do.

Behind her she heard Kitty let out a tame 'dammit' as she tripped over something. Rogue grinned and shook her head as she made another pass with the flashlight. Her head tilted to the side as she brought the beam back to what looked like a rock. An oddly shaped rock.

Stepping towards it, she leaned down and reached out to touch it. It looked like a rose carved of a shiny black stone. About a the size of a man's fist. Setting the flashlight down, she brought the camera up and snapped a few pictures of it before pulling out an evidence bag and putting the carving into it.

Beneath the stone was a playing card. The Ace of Spades. Death. There was writing on it. Red permanent marker. The language unfamiliar. Spanish maybe. Or French. Just on top of the card were two copper pennies.

Rogue took more pictures, calling Kitty over as she did so. Once the card and coins were sealed in separate bags, the two packed up and headed back to the mansion. If they were lucky, there would be fingerprints still on the two items.

**::: :::**

It was Monday before Fury got back to Logan. Giving him as little information as he could. Government orders and other bullshit. What information SHIELD had on 'Gambit' had been recovered from Strykers' database after the Alkali Dam broke.

He was a mutant, of course. Real name: Remy LeBeau. Too many alias' to count. Card shark and known thief. Had been captured by Stryker and sent to a lab under Three Mile Island when he was seventeen or eighteen. Escaped around age twenty. Associated with a Doctor Nathaniel Essex, details unclear.

Only one picture on file, fifty two 'calling cards' from various heists and a pack of cigarettes they had been able to get partial fingerprints from.

The picture on file showed a young man with a cheeky grin, warm brown eyes and shaggy auburn hair. A five o'clock shadow darkening his chin in a wholly attractive manner, accentuating his features. Cigarette dangling from between two fingers as he led a blond girl by the waist down some street during a festival of some sort. The excess of beads suggested Marti Gras.

The shirt he had chosen, a simple gray t-shirt, clung to him in all the right places, subtly showing off his muscles.

If it weren't' for the eyes, he would have been a dead ringer for the man that the children had seen. The picture had been taken around seventeen years before, give or take. Fury couldn't be more specific. 35-40 by now, the kids said he looked to be around Bobby's age. Possibly this devil man's father then.

Mutant abilities listed as being able to blow shit up. The word shit wasn't used in the file, of course, but that's what it boiled down to.

At least they more to go on. Logan would press his contacts about Doctor Essex. Fury couldn't actually give him the information in that file. But he had made it clear that there wasn't much to give even if he could.

Logan promised to share anything they found out about this Gambit character and his connection to the massacre. SHIELD wanted the truth as much as the X-Men. Or rather, Fury did. And that was good enough for SHIELD.

**::: :::**

The Ace of Spades lay face up in the middle of the table next to the obsidian rose and two pennies.

Logan frowned, "I know those weren't there when we first cased the place."

Hank nodded, "Indeed. And we believe you, my Canadian friend. However, with the information you've been able to gather from your associates at SHIELD, we can safely say that it is yet another calling card for Remy LeBeau a.k.a. Gambit. Or at least, whomever is now holding that title."

"You don't believe it is the same man as the one in the files?" Ororo asked, tilting her head in curiosity.

McCoy shook his head and pressed a few keys on a nearby console, bringing two picture onto the screen. The first from SHIELD's files and the second being one of Erg's pictures, "It is the eyes. I am quite certain that the two are different people. Though most likely related, brothers or father and son. Unless his mutation allows for longevity like Logan's does. And based on the fact that he caused an explosion with his staff, an explosion witnessed by thirty very scared children, I find that highly doubtful. The Remy LeBeau on file is listed as having the ability to cause everyday objects to explode with just a touch. As well as being 'obscenely charming'. The reports' words not mine. But nothing about any sort of healing factor or longevity."

Rogue bit her lip and pointed at the card, "What does it say."

"Dieu notre père, Votre puissance nous amène à la naissance, Vos guides de providence nos vies, et par votre commande nous revenons à la poussière," Logan read off. "God our Father, Your power brings us to birth, Your providence guides our lives, and by Your command we return to dust."

"It iz a Catholic prayer to the recently departed," Kurt finally spoke up, running his rosary between his fingers. "The black rose iz an offering for the grave and the pennies are to pay the ferryman for passage across the river into the afterlife. It iz an attempt at penance."

**::: :::**

**End Chapter**


	3. Chapter 3

**Sinister Intentions**

A X-Men: MovieVerse Fanfiction

Written by RogueMoon

Chapter Three

**::: :::**

"I saw The Devil Man today," Sarah whispered to Rogue, her eyes wide but not fearful. "He gave me candy."

The southern girl's mouth worked in shock, trying to make sense of what she just heard, "What?"

Sarah held up a green lollipop, plastic still covering the hard sugar, "Its sour apple. He told me so."

"When? Where?" Rogue's eyes were still on the candy, still trying to process this information.

"After lunch. Near the lake," the little girl replied. "Can I keep it?"

"What?! No!"

Sarah pouted, looking dejected.

Rogue immediately regretted her words and tried to sooth the child, "We just need ta make sure its safe to eat, okay sugah? You weren't scared of him? He didn't try ta hurt you? Tell me exactly what happened."

Sarah shook her head, suddenly talkative as her face glowed with excitement, "No. He was nice. I was playing in the shallows, trying to catch tadpoles. Maria wanted to do that and Piper said he would make sure there were plenty to catch. I took off my shoes and rolled up my pants and everything. I was chasing a big frog cause I think catching frogs is more fun than tadpoles and the frog jumped way away from Piper and Maria so I followed him. The Devil Man was sitting on the bank, in the shade of the trees. He was smoking a cigarette and waved at me. So I waved back. I thought I should be scared, but I wasn't. He was smiling and he asked me to come over and talk. So I went over and sat down next to him and we talked. He told me this story about frogs and scorpions. It was a strange story. Then he asked me to give something to you and said he would give me a lollipop if I did. Oh yeah," the child reached into her pocket and pulled out an envelope, "This is for you."

Rogue took the envelope and looked back at Sarah, "He wanted you to give this ta me? He knew mah name?"

Sarah shook her head, "No. He said to give it to the pretty girl with white bangs and green eyes. That's you."

"Oh. Did he say why?"

The girl shrugged, "No. Can I please have the lollipop?"

Rogue gave an exasperated sigh, "No, Sarah. We have ta check it first. Make sure its safe ta eat. Ya'll stay here for a moment, okay sugah? I'm going ta get Mr. Logan and Ms. Munroe so you can tell them what ya just told me."

"But I'll get the lollipop after right?"

The southerner rubbed her temples as she walked off, "Yes Sarah. You'll get it after we make sure its safe ta eat."

**::: :::**

Logan paced the room, growling to himself and flexing his fists. He hadn't been able to catch any scent of the Devil Man near the lake. Even after Sarah took him to the exact spot she had seen him. Had sat next to him and talked. There was an impression in the soft ground. Two of them. One smaller, Sarah's. One bigger, probably the Devil Man's. But there had been no scent in the impression. It made him anxious. It meant the man could come and go undetected on the grounds. That was unacceptable.

The lollipop tested safe and was finally given back to Sarah who eagerly sucked on the treat.

Rogue was fiddling with the envelope. It remained unopened. She and Logan were waiting for Ororo, Kurt, Bobby and Hank to arrive. The senior team. Well, Rogue was more of a consultant now. No powers meant no field time. But she still had a place.

Dr. McCoy was the first to arrive, heading immediately to the computer console to bring up the relative files so they could add notes from the meeting to them once it got underway. He didn't bother walking, just jumped over the table, flipping more agily than his blue-furred bulk would give him credit for.

Bobby wandered in, followed by Ororo, the latter with a stack of papers in her arms. Iceman sat next to Rogue and slung his arm over her shoulder. She gave him a half-hearted grin.

Kurt arrived in a cloud of smoke and sulfur, falling into his chair.

Once they were all settled, Rogue slowly opened the envelope, careful not to harm the contents, just in case. Cursory inspection found nothing wrong. No powders or anything else suspicious. Reaching in, she pulled out a small stack of Polaroid pictures and another playing card. The Queen of Hearts. The pictures were of her.

Her jaw dropped as she looked through them. The first three were from when she was inspecting the cavern, taking pictures of the ground, Kitty some distance behind her. From the distortion, it looked like he had timed his flashes for when her camera's flash went off.

It was rather impressive in a creepy, stalkerish kind of way.

The next picture was of her in the library, taken through one of the windows. She was putting away books.

The last picture was of her looking out her bedroom window at sunset.

The Queen of Hearts had a question written on it in that same red marker:

_Why do you still wear gloves?_

**::: :::**

He sauntered through the lab, hands shoved deep in his pockets as he made his way to the community room. Adrenaline still rushing through his system from his time on the institute grounds. It had been quite a high to skirt their security system and ensure he couldn't be tracked by the bloodhounds. Mutant or otherwise.

He had no real interest in the skunk-haired girl. She was a mutant who took the cure because she couldn't stand to deal with her powers properly. It was rather pitiful when he thought about it. Unlike the little girl, Sarah, the skunk-haired girl still looked normal. Just because she had to cover herself up to keep from hurting herself, didn't mean she had it bad. She just had it differently. Sinister's files told him all about her.

But then she had to go and take the cure. Try to make herself normal. Flatline. And yet, she still wore those damnable gloves.

He wasn't sure why he had done it, other than an attempt to goad the self-righteous pricks. None of them knew what it was like to really suffer. None of them accept Wolverine, and that man got a free pass on account of his amnesia.

Gambit was sure she would show the rest of them. It would make them worry.

A grin, so similar to the doctor's, spread over his face. Maybe he'd take pictures of that black chick next. She like to water her plants in the attic. Nude. That would be fun.

"What are you smiling at?" Creed growled at him as he entered the room.

Gambit's grin got wider, "Just imagining you splattered all over de wall, _Monsieur_ 'Tooth. Like one o' dem _avant garde_ paintings."

Victor matched his grin, cracking his knuckles as he stood, "Like to see you try. Been wanting some real action. Those fools in the tunnel were too easy. Maybe I'll let you get away with just a pierced lung and a few dozen broken bones."

The smile left Remy's face as he sneered at the man, "_Monsieur_ Essex not gonna like you attempting ta threaten me. Ya try anyt'ing and he have your hide. Maybe he let me finally have it."

"The Doc is out. Left for Seattle an hour ago. Its just you and me and the security cameras."

Gambit licked his lips and tilted his head, a sadistic and not completely sane smile breaking out over his face. His devil eyes began to glow a burning red as a familiar pink glow began to crawl up Creed's body, "Is dat right? Then _Monsieur_ 'Tooth. Allow _moi_ ta finally pay ya back for Paris. Curtosy of _Monsieur_ Sinister's doting attention. He did a lot more dan change my eyes since we last went up again' each other."

The resulting boom shook the lab, causing the other Marauder in the base to come running. She found Gambit sitting against the door frame at the entrance to the community room. Blood and other body parts in pieces too small to recognize covering him as he calmly sucked on a cigarette. Smoke blown out in long, lazy puffs.

Vertigo looked in the room and it was like someone had painted the place with a the bloody remains of a body after being put through a meat grinder. At the far side, laying near a now ruined leather chair, was the grisly, skeletal remains of Sabertooth. It was rather disgusting how even as dead as he should be, his body was slowly regrowing the missing pieces. At least it would take several painful hours.

Looking down at Gambit, the woman raising an eyebrow, "Don't tell me Creed hit on you, too?"

A chuckle escaped the man and he shook his head, "_Non._ Creed inta de _femmes_ as much as ol' Gambit is. He just pissed me off and wit _Monsieur_ Essex gone for de moment, I thought I'd take de opportunity dat presented itself."

"The boss is gone?"

"He's not here is he?"

She looked glanced down the hall, where a frowning Sinister had just appeared and was now walking toward them, "He is now."

Gambit slowly rolled his head over to watch the man as he approached, still lazily blowing smoke rings, "Ah. So he is. How 'bout dat." No regret at all.

Vertigo moved from the doorway to let the doctor past. She kept her green haired head down and waited while Sinister stepped into the room and studied the mess, "Remington."

The Cajun followed the man with his eyes, "_Oui, Monsieur_ Essex?" Not one ounce of it.

The doctor nudged what was left of Victor's body, "Move him to my lab. I'd like to watch him reform. Vertigo."

"Yes, sir?" she replied immediately.

"See to the clean up in here."

She nodded her accent as the doctor turned and left the room. Gambit standing as he did so, then moving to the body, cigarette dangling from his lips. Even half dead and destroyed, the man weighed a ton.

He was rather surprised actually. No punishment had been immediately forthcoming. That didn't mean there wouldn't be any. Just that he had expected something more.

It took him about ten minutes to manhandle the body into the main examination room. A table was already prepared, instruments at the ready to record the process. The doctor leaned over, face close to the body as the intestines reformed, cells growing and knitting together, "Get yourself cleaned up, Remington. You're beginning to smell and are far from sanitary at the moment. When you're done return and we'll discuss this incident."

"Oui, Monsieur Essex," Gambit replied, a bit confused about his master's actions. But he still left the lab and headed to his room to take a shower and change.

**::: :::**

He had been standing there, watching the doctor as he observed the regrowth of Creed's body, making notes every so often and checking his equipment for readings. He was clean now. Change of clothes. Jeans and a t-shirt. No jacket. It had been a half hour since he got back from the shower.

Licking his lips, he let out a soft sigh and moved closer to the exam table to find a place to sit. There were no chairs in the lab. Sinister never sat down when conducting his experiments or taking notes. He preferred to stand, to be ready to react to any new data if needed.

The doctor seemed to ignore the Cajun as the latter moved some currently out-of-use equipment to one side, clearing a place to sit on a counter top as he pulled out a new cigarette. A glance from Sinister told Gambit the man was well aware of him and that if he wanted to live he should put the cigarette away. The smoke would otherwise corrupt the sterile environment.

Remy bit down on the end of the cancer stick and considered lighting up just to piss his boss off. It was a nice fantasy for the two seconds he allowed himself to have it before tucking the cigarette behind one ear. His hands clasped and settled in his lap as his legs kicked idly.

Sinister went back to his work.

A long minute of continued silence later and Remy was glancing around for something to do. Legs still kicking. He picked up an empty glass vial and began playing with it, rolling it between his fingers like a coin. He should have brought a pack of cards.

**::: :::**

**End Chapter**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sinister Intentions**

A X-Men: MovieVerse Fanfiction

Written by RogueMoon

Chapter Four

**::: :::**

Wolverine snuck down one side of a large pile of storage containers. Iceman and Colossus behind him, trying not to make a sound. Storm, Beast and Nightcrawler were on the other side of the room, mirroring the movements of the first three. At least, Wolverine hoped they were. They were supposed to be.

Shadowcat and Jubilee were running through the storage containers to the far end of the complex, where a security door stood, for all appearances, unguarded. That was a lie though. It only looked unguarded Wolverine could smell them. Only three of them. Mutants for sure. And they knew they weren't alone.

Almost three full weeks of back alley talks and greasing palms and inquiries to people better left unnamed had led the X-Men to this facility. An underground warehouse for the storage of plastic forks of all things, owned by one Arnold Bocklin. Supposedly the man had ties to Doctor Essex. An informant or at least a go between for prospective business associates and clients. That was all Logan could get, but it was more than the dead end further investigation into 'Gambit' had proven to be.

They still had little more on him than what SHEILD had been able to provide, despite the calling cards he had been leaving every few days. Accompanied by more pictures. A pattern had emerged from within it. The Devil Man seemed to have been assigning each of his photo victims a different card in the deck. Rogue was the Queen of Hearts; Ororo, the Queen of Spades. Logan had somehow gotten assigned the Jack of Spades while Bobby was given the King of Clubs. Kitty was associated with the Ten of Hearts. The reasoning behind the assignments was unclear, but it was consistent.

Twice he had pictures of Rogue and Ororo delivered to their respective recipients, and twice the same card had been included with the pictures. Queen of Hearts to Rogue and Queen of Spades to Ororo.

The Devil Man was beginning to be an urban myth around the school. Enough of the children, all Morlocks unsurprisingly, had seen him and been asked to deliver the enigmatic envelopes that the rest of the student body had begun Devil Man hunts akin to snipe hunting.

It would have been funny to the staff if it hadn't been so disturbing that the man could seemingly come and go as he pleased.

Wolverine paused, sniffing the air. The scent of one of the guards had gotten stronger. Moved closer. It was strange scent. Reminiscent of the icy tundra just as spring began. A woman's scent.

Then a sound. A low humming. A woman's voice. Moving closer.

The feral mutant signaled the two behind him. Their first target just around the approaching corner. They moved slowly, silently forward. Wolverine sliding his claws out slowly to avoid the tale-tell sign of them being unsheathed.

He could feel Iceboy and the Russian tensing up. The adrenaline beginning to circulate into their system.

Wolverine stopped just before the end of the row, keeping himself flat against the containers. Listening, smelling, waiting for the woman to get just a little bit closer. The humming continued and Logan found himself feeling a bit woozy.

He shook his head to try and clear it, but that only made it worse. The humming grew louder. He blinked away tears that had formed for some reason, his head spinning. He tried to focus on Drake and Rasputin but couldn't tell up from down as he stumbled away from the container. He thought he fell to the floor, but it could have been the ceiling or the wall. A groan escaped him as his body lost its balance, its sense of reality and in moments he finally succumbed to the blessed darkness of a vertigo induced blackout.

She leaned against the container, arms crossed and humming a happy tune as the three men fell before her. Though her nose did crinkle a bit in disgust when the one that looked like ice emptied his stomach. But the humming didn't stop.

Once certain that they weren't faking it, she moved through them, bending down and placing a collar on each body, satisfied that the devices were working properly when the metal man and the ice man both reverted to plain flatline forms.

Only then did the humming stop and she pressed a button on her belt, giving the single that she had completed her part. Leaning against the container once more, she waited for the others to report in.

**::: :::**

Storm, Beast and Nightcrawler moved slowly, silently. Nightcrawler in the rafters above, invisible in the shadows as he followed the other two, eyes watching the warehouse floor for any guards His vantage point allowed him to spot a green-haired woman in a garish outfit of green and white walk from the far corner of the warehouse and begin what looked like a basic inspection of the room. The kind that any cop-for-hire might do in a shopping mall. When she disappeared into a row of crates near where Wolverine and his team were supposed to be, he dismissed her as a threat. The German had full confidence in his fellows.

His eyes coming back to the two below him, he scanned for any other guards There had to be more than just one green haired woman. And a moment later, he was proven right as a man in the uniform of a security guard emerged from that same dark corner and walked a different route through the warehouse, Tucking his shirt in and straightening his sloppy tie. Nightcrawler allowed himself a moment of disgust at the obvious implications behind such actions with the woman having left just moments before. Muttering a prayer, the German kept his eyes on the man, whose pattern would soon bring him into contact with Storm and Beast.

Kurt could see his teammates slow down. They were aware of the man as he casually made his way down an adjacent isle, walking past their position to the middle of the warehouse and then turning and making his way up the isle that Storm and Beast had been in a moment before.

He was fiddling with his keys when Ororo stepped out in front of him, grabbing him by his shirt. Nightcrawler's belief that it would be an easy shot at the keys was cut short by Storm's strangled cry of pain before dropping the man and falling to the floor unconscious. The man scooted on his backside away from her, only to run into Beast. Again he was grabbed and again he did something to make his attacker pass out with a cry of pain.

Standing up and casually dusting himself off, he pulled two thin, metal rings from under his jacket and popped them around Storm and Beast's neck. Kurt watched in morbid fascination as Hank's blue fur disappeared, leaving him in in the state he had been prior to his mutation. That was not a good sign.

Nightcrawler debated heavily with himself over joining the fight or waiting and decided on waiting. He didn't know what the man had done to his teammates to knock them unconscious. He would wait for now. Bamfing himself across the room so he could be above section that Wolverine's team was scouting, he found the three also passed out with collars around their necks. The green-haired woman leaning against a container.

Not good.

He bamfed across the room once more, staying in the rafters, appearing directly above the security door. Kurt arrived just in time to see Kitty and Jubilee peek out cautiously from the stack of crates directly in front of the door. It was clear. They made a dash for it and phased through the metal.

Nightcrawler considered his options. It was clear the guards were waiting for something, having made no effort to move the X-Men from where they fell. Kurt could easily get them out. Well, probably. Teleporting in and moving them to the blackbird one or two at a time. It would tax him, and give away that he was there. But it would keep them from being taken prisoner, which was likely what would occur.

"If de road ta hell is paved wit' good intentions, den does dat mean de road ta heaven is paved wit' bad ones?" a voice drawled from a few feet away, startling the German. Two glowing red pinpricks stared at him from the shadows. The form of a man crouching on rafter beams near him barely visible, even to Kurt's night vision.

"Devil Man," the German breathed out without thinking.

The figure's head tilted to the left, "We be two of a kind, den. If'n I be a Devil Man an' you be a demon."

"I am a priest," Kurt replied, surprising himself. He should have already teleported away.

"Don't dat beat all. De demon be a priest," the Devil Man brought something to his lips and a moment later it sparked, emitting a soft glow as it was pulled away. Smoke whispering out of the man's lungs. "Why you call me de Devil Man?"

Nightcrawler really should be teleporting away. He shouldn't be keeping his eyes locked onto those eerie red pinpricks. He shouldn't keep talking to the man, "Zat iz what the children call you."

"Dat so? Well, I ain't no Devil Man, me. No, I may be de Devil's own, but I ain't no Devil man. I just work for him."

"Who are you zen? If not the Devil Man, zen who?"

He grinned and stood. Hopped casually across the rafters to crouch directly in front of Nightcrawler. He looked exactly like the picture they had gotten from SHEILD. Save for the eyes.

"De name is Gambit. Now why don't you tell me what you doin' here, _oui_?" the voice, smooth like honey.

Kurt knew he shouldn't be talking to this man. But he couldn't figure out why. He just shouldn't.

"Come, _mon ami_, you can trust ol' Gambit. I not doing not'ing but sittin' here havin' a smoke. You want one?" A warm voice, one he could trust.

Nightcrawler smiled and shook his head. Why shouldn't he have a chat with the man. He was supposed to be doing something else, but he couldn't remember what it was. Must not have been to terribly important, "No thank you, my friend. I do not smoke."

"Can't all be perfect."

Kurt laughed, sharing his smile with the man.

"Now what you and your friends be doing here?"

"Looking for information on you," the German answered happily, thinking nothing of it, his accent becoming less prominent. "After ze Morlock children told us about you, we started investigating your role in ze massacre. It didn't look like you did any of ze killing, but you were obviously involved somehow. After some questioning in places it iz better I not think about, we were given ze name 'Gambit'. Logan spoke with his friends at SHIELD and zey provided us with a file on a man we presume iz your father. As ze man in ze file is at least twice your age by now and has different eyes. Ze only other lead in ze file was his connection to a Doctor Essex. It took some more digging but we found out that Arnold Bocklin has some sort of affiliation to ze man. Bocklin has only this warehouse listed as an asset. It is a bit suspicious, even when not looking hard at it, so we decided to come and investigate. Hoping to gain access to Bocklin himself, information on how to contact Essex or more in depth information on either of them."

Gambit grinned and patted the German's shoulder like an old friend, "So how'd you know dere would be guards and you should come in force?"

"We didn't, actually. After landing and getting close, Logan was able to pick up ze scent of three people. Since he didn't mention one of them being yours, I expect there's a fourth person hanging about."

"_Oui_, dat's true," the Cajun nodded and pulled a thin metal collar out of his coat and then handed it to Kurt, "Do me a favor, _mon ami_, put dat pretty little bauble on around your neck and twist de closure ta make sure it locks in place, _si vous plait._"

Grinning like a child getting a fancy new toy, the German took the collar and did as asked. As soon as it was locked, he felt woozy and off balance. His eye sight blurred a bit and when it cleared he found himself being held by the strong arms of Gambit. His head started to clear and his eyes widened as he realized what had just happened. What he had just done and said.

'Obscenely charming'.

"You hypnotized me," he gasped out.

"And you fell for it so easily, too," the other laughed back with no remorse. "Time ta say _bon nuit_,_ mon ami._"

A sharp pain flared across the back of Kurt's neck before he, too, joined his teammates in unconsciousness.

**::: :::**

**End Chapter**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sinister Intentions**

A X-Men: MovieVerse Fanfiction

Written by RogueMoon

Chapter Five

**::: :::**

Shadowcat and Jubilee looked around the room beyond the security door. It was empty.

Looked like a regular break room, the kind you could find at any office or school. Table in the middle with trash from a late lunch or early dinner still on it. Newspaper and coffee cups scattered. Five foldable chairs were situated hap-haphazardly around it. In one corner a water cooler, recycling bin and trash can were lined up neatly. A plaid couch that had seen better days was tucked against the wall immediately to the left of the door. A TV with an antenna connection a few feet in front of it on a rolling cart. Large, olive green fridge to the right of the door.

Across the room were three more doors. One was marked as a unisex bathroom. One was open and had cleaning supplies – mops brooms and the like – stuffed into the small space beyond. Which left only one door for them to explore.

Kitty pulled Jubes through the table and to the door, sticking her head through briefly before pulling back and nodding to say 'all clear'. They phased through the obstruction, missing the opening of the bathroom door and the sadistic smile of the man that followed them on silent feet.

The door led into a long hallway that curved and sloped slowly downward. The girls found their hearts racing as they moved cautiously Footsteps echoed from in front of them, voices growing louder. Kitty pulled them into the wall and they waited, listening for the sounds of two men talking to pass them.

"...ee of them? Seriously? I didn't think she had it in her."

"I can't believe I lost the pool. I was sure Scrambler would get the most."

"I know. At best now it will be a tie between..."

Shadowcat could feel Jubilee tensing up as the conversation faded from hearing. Neither of them liked what they had heard, even if they didn't fully understand it.

Kitty pulled Jubes through the wall, back into the hall and they continued on. No more interruptions came before they reached what looked like the bottom. A large door, about a foot taller than the standard everyday ones, stood before them. Once again Kitty peaked her head through before pulling Jubilee after her.

They emerged into a lab that looked straight out of Frankenstein. If that lab had been made of stainless steel and not stone. And was better lighted. It was still really creepy.

Three large cylinders filled with green liquid stood against one wall, computer banks full of blinking lights took up one entire wall. Stainless steel tables that made the girls shiver just looking at them sat in the middle. All sorts of surgical tools and medical equipment sat about in what looked like an organized manner. Another set of doors that reminded them of walk in freezers stood, of course, on the other side of the room.

Kitty let go of Jubilee and went to the computers, looking for an interface she recognized. Several monitors and keyboards were waiting. Some of them off. Some of them displaying images that looked like they could be x-rays. Of what body part wasn't obvious.

Picking one of the monitors that was active, Shadowcat began moving through the programs, looking for a base directory.

She didn't hear Jubilee gasp behind her as a hand squeezed the life from her. She didn't realize anything was wrong until something was snapped around her neck. Turning and attempting to phase herself, she found she only ran into the man. He looked American Indian. A really big gun was pressing against her head.

He smiled, "Lucky for you, the boss wants you alive. Doesn't mean he wants you awake."

He brought the butt of the gun down on her head, not bothering to catch the body as she collapsed onto the floor a few scant feet from an unconscious Jubilee.

The door to the lab opened and the other Marauders dragged the rest of the X-Men into the room. Gambit frowned at the state of the two young girls, the weather witch hoisted much more kindly over his shoulder, "Ya didn' have ta hurt dem, Crow."

"Didn't have ta not, either," Scalphunter replied casually, grabbing both girls by their hair and pulling them towards the holding cells. He could feel the Cajun's glare on his back. Looking down, he was a bit irked, though not surprised, to see his jacket glowing pink. The Native American let go of the girls and picked them both up carefully, slinging them over his shoulders. The glow disappeared, "Christ Remy, you don't have ta be so damn temperamental."

**::: :::**

When Storm came to, she found herself and her fellow teammates cuffed to the wall, hanging by their wrists. All of them wore a thin metal collar with a blinking green light around their necks. She assumed she must have one as well. What looked like an operating table sat in the middle of the room, large halogen lamp hanging over it, making the rest of the well lit room look dark in comparison.

A second glance around and she realized that Hank and Kurt didn't seem to be among them. Instead, two other men wearing their uniforms hung on the other side of the room. It was quite eerie how the one dressed in Kurt's clothing seemed to have the exact same scars as he did.

It couldn't be Nightcrawler though. The man had all five fingers, no tail, Caucasian skin and black hair. What game was their captor playing at?

A groan to her right alerted her to another waking up. She glanced over and found Bobby's head moving and beyond him, Piotr's eyes were starting to flutter open.

"Are you all right, my friends? What happened to you?"

"Not sure," Drake replied. "We heard one of the guards getting near. She was humming. And then everything started getting really weird. It was like being drunk, but without the buzz. Just the disorientation... I think I threw up."

"Ya did," a cheery voice answered from the now open door. The so-called 'Devil Man' stepped through, following a slightly taller man dressed in an outrageous spandex costume. Dark blue and white with blood red diamond on his chest. Black hair slicked back, away from a pasty face with a matching diamond on his forehead. Pools of dark red light instead of eyes hovered over a shark grin, pointed teeth sending an involuntary shiver through Ororo.

She tried to summon lightning and found herself at a loss when she could not.

"And I got ta say, _homme_, it was priceless," the Devil Man continued, sauntering up to Iceman and crossing his arms. "Seriously, when Vertigo had ta pick ya up and carry ya down here? Ya did it again. All ova' that silly green outfit o' hers. Ya did us all a favor. Goin' have ta thank properly one o' dese days."

"How about letting me go?"

The man smiled and shrugged, reaching up to undo the cuffs, "Sure t'ing, _mon ami_. Let me get ya right down."

A look of shocked stupidity overtook Drake's face as his wrists were released and he dropped to the floor. It lasted only a second, his training kicking in as he attempted to Ice himself up. Another look of shock that gave the Devil Man all the time he needed to grab Bobby by the collar and drag him over to the table, flipping him onto it none to gently. Iceman's wrists were cuffed again, followed by his ankles. Trapped on the table.

"_Desole, mon ami_. _Mais_, ya didn't say fa how long," the man drawled out as he patted Bobby on the head, still grinning.

"What are you going to do to him?" Kitty cried out. Ororo glanced around again, all of the X-Men were now awake.

The man in the costume chose to reply, flicking a needle before unceremoniously sticking it into Drake's arm and filling it with the man's blood, "Taking samples. It's easier when you're lying down."

The man with the devil eyes retreated to the door way and sat down against the wall, pulling out a deck of cards and shuffling them. Not a simple shuffle either. A fancy one. Lots of flashy tricks.

"What do you want with us?" Logan growled out, eying the man who was obviously in charge.

"I believe the question is, what do you want with me. It is you who sought me out, after all," the man replied, not looking up as he carefully took nail clippings from Bobby's feet. After sanitizing and cleaning them. He looked rather annoyed at having to do so.

"You're Bocklin?" the feral replied, trying to get and keep the man's attention. He wasn't actually hurting the X-Men. Yet.

The man chuckled, "Arnold Bocklin, Robert Windsor, Nathan Milbury... all these names are mine." He looked up, the red eyes burning, "But most know me as Mr. Sinister. You, Wolverine.... Weapon X, would know me as Doctor Nathaniel Essex. You were a favorite of mine. I do so admire your genes."

Logan paled. Not in fear. Anger coursed red-hot through his blood as he began thrashing against the wall, screaming and cursing the man before him.

Essex's smiled widened and he looked back down, continuing his work as if nothing had occurred.

**::: :::**

It had been hours since they woke. All of them had been taken down from the wall, one at a time, to be placed on the table except Logan. Fighting all the way. They might have been impressed with the devil eyed man's ability to counter all their moves and get them strapped down and then take them back when their turn was done... had they not been so angry at him. The collars they wore, they learned, suppressed their mutant genes, just as Leech's powers had. Hank and Kurt had reverted to what they would have been had they not been born a mutant.

Logan was the only one left now. He continued to thrash against his bonds, his wrists cuffed in a manner that didn't allow him to retract his claws. And he couldn't twist his wrists enough to cut himself off the wall.

The devil eyed man watched him warily, glancing between him and Sinister. Logan was one he didn't want to tangle with. If he got loose, he could easily cut the collar off.

After a long starting contest between the feral mutant and the doctor, Essex smiled and turned around. Leaving the room.

Gambit let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding, "Thank god for simple favors."

"Ya scared, Gumbo?" Logan growled, grinning at him.

He shrugged, jumping up on the table and swinging his legs, cigarette appearing out of nowhere and lighting itself, "Not particularly. I could always blow ya up. I jus' don' want ta have ta do dat to a friend."

"I'm not your friend, Cajun."

"_Non_... not no more, pe'haps. Been a long time since ya and me, we meet up."

"Don't know what you're talking 'bout, bub."

The man took a long drag of his smoke before answering, "Three mile island, _homme_. Weapon progam. De breakout."

Wolverine glared at him, no comprehension in his eyes.

Gambit sighed and flicked the cigarette away, letting it explode out of existence a few feet away. He pulled his legs onto the table and sat indian style, pulling out his cards and beginning a game of solitaire, "I was dere fa two years. Poked, prodded. Caged. Used my charm ta get out."

"You would have been no more than five," Ororo cut in, aghast.

The devil eyed man shook his head, nose crinkling as he made the difficult decision of placing his red three on a black four instead of on the red two waiting in Ace's row, "Was 'bout eighteen. Not sure really. Don' know when I was born. But 'bout eighteen. Give or take a year or two. Escaped when I was twenty, again, give or take a year or two."

"But you are barely twenty now." Disbelief lacing the woman's voice.

Gambit looked up at her, eyes narrowing in annoyance, "Are ya de one tellin' dis story or am I?"

She smiled politely, taking the opportunity to learn something while she could, "You are. I apologize."

He smirked back and looked down at his spread, placing a king in an open spot, "Where was I? Oh yes. De escape. I made it out o' dere and back down ta N'awlins. 'Bout five, six months later, this big bad _homme_ come and interrupt me in de middle of a poker game." He waggled a finger at Logan, "Very rude of ya, _mon ami_. Seventeen dollars is not a polite wager ta bring ta de hundred bet minimum tables. He wanted me ta take him back ta de place."

Gambit looked up, looked Logan in the eyes, "So he could kill dem all. After a brief tussle, he convinced me he was legit and I," he touched a hand to his chest, grinning like saint, "out o' de goodness o' my heart, flew him back ta dat hell hole. Even stuck around til he destroyed one o' de reactors. Offered him a ride home when I found him healing up from some bullet ta de brain."

His hand imitated a gun, flicking his thumb as he let out a soft 'pow', "Right between de eyes it was. But stubborn ol' Logan here, he didn't accept my offer. Said he'd find his own way. And wit' de sirens wailing, I couldn't stick around ta convince him otherwise."

Logan growled again as another, more familiar man entered the room. Locking eyes with each other. The man licked his lips and taunted the chained man silently for a moment, "Story time's over, Gambit. Boss said I could have some playtime in the toy box."

"Funny, _Monsieur_ 'Tooth, how I didn't get dat memo," the Cajun replied, shuffling his cards and not moving from his spot as he glanced over his shoulder.

"You're getting it now," the other man replied, hands flexing in anticipation of the blood loss to follow. Wolverine all tied up like a present just for him.

Gambit flipped a card off the deck, King of Diamonds, let it start to glow, matching the burning red of his eyes, "I jus' decided, _Monsieur_ 'Tooth, dat I ain't done playing in de toy box. You best find somet'ing else ta do. Bat 'round a ball o' yarn or use de litter box or somet'ing."

"You wouldn't," the Cajun had Creed's full attention now. Logan could smell the shift in power. Creed was scared of the kid. That was worth knowing.

"I have b'fore."

"The boss wants this place sterile."

Gambit chuckled, "Didn' sound like you cared 'bout dat a moment ago." The same pink glow that lit up the card began to spread over Sabertooth's body. Starting at the feet.

Creed growled, clenched his fists, seethed in pure hatred that was usually reserved for his brother. But he backed off, leaving the room. The glow disappeared. The door was slammed shut.

Gambit tossed the card toward the door and let it go boom, turning back to his captive audience, good humor instantly returned, "So, who up fa a little strip poker? Don't worry, I'm a gentleman and be fully willing ta help de _femmes_ out o' dere clothes when de time comes."

**::: :::**

**End Chapter**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sinister Intentions**

A X-Men: MovieVerse Fanfiction

Written by RogueMoon

Chapter Six

**::: :::**

Rogue tapped the desk nervously. It had been hours now and the X-Men hadn't reported in. The signal from the Blackbird had it still sitting where it the team had landed. Still cloaked.

Something had gone wrong. That was the only explanation. The team had actually found something and were now in danger. Or worse. And the school had no telepath powerful or skilled enough to operate Cerebro.

Rogue bit her lip, thinking over what she could do. She wasn't entirely helpless and as acting director of the Institute, as she always did when the team went out now that she couldn't join them, she had the authority to back up her decisions. There were some students who were advanced enough to be promoted to secondary team status. Their abilities diverse. No telepath though. She needed a telepath. The school needed a telepath.

She pulled up the Cerebro files on known mutants in the world. Narrowing the search to telepaths.

Jason Wingarde, mental illusionist. Less of a direct telepath and more of manipulator of mental visions. Known to have opposed the X-Men, though evidence of his passing had only been found after the fact. That took him off the list. Well, last resort at best.

Emma Frost, telepathic member of the socially elite Hellfire Club, Headmistress of the Massachusetts Academy, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Frost International. Actively Competed with the Xavier Institute for the most 'gifted' students. Tentatively rated Beta Class, possibly low-level Alpha.

Rogue tapped her finger on the desk, eyes going back to the Blackbird's signal. It was still there. Taking a deep breath, she picked up the phone and dialed.

**::: :::**

Gambit came back to entertain himself with their company about a half hour after being called away by Sinister. Rough estimate. Jubilee was pretty good at keeping track of time. Came in handy being a mall rat and runaway. It hadn't felt like much longer than a half hour.

The Devil Man had changed clothes though. He was dressed in hospital scrubs. Hospital pants, anyway. And one of the blinking collars. No shirt, no gloves, no shoes. Jubes allowed herself a moment of unabashed ogling. The man was hot.

She giggled and she heard Kitty giggle too. Gambit glanced over, giving them a rakish smile and wink. Both found their cheeks burning red, but their matching grins of girlish glee didn't leave.

The Devil Man licked his lips and stood in front of them, stretching so casually. Showing off his body at the best angles before his most appreciative audience, "Like what you see _petites_?"

"Leave them alone, Gumbo," Logan growled, thrashing a bit. "They're jailbait to you."

Gambit kept smiling at the girls, not turning around as ran one hand down his chest and replied, "But _mon ami_, dat be de best kind o' bait." Another wink, cheeky grin.

If Jubilee hadn't been hanging from her wrists, she was sure her knees would have given out at that. Louder giggles and a squeal. She shouldn't be enjoying that. She snickered at herself and flirted back, "Worst pick up line, like, ever."

"You still be smiling, _non_?"

She couldn't help it. She giggled again. Kitty did too. A muffled cough from Storm that sounded suspiciously like a chuckle. The men were glaring. They couldn't help it. They couldn't understand something so obviously a girl thing.

"Did you just come to show off skin, bub, or you got a reason for the wardrobe change?" Enter Wolverine, mood killer.

Jubes was disappointed to see the lazy smile on the Devil Man's face replaced with a scowl. Thankfully directed more at the wall than her.

He turned around and hopped up on the table, hands clasping and moving like he'd rather give them something to do. Something to hold. Hadn't he always had them doing something? Cards or cigarettes. He looked nervous.

"What? Not so talkative now, Cajun?" Logan taunted, grinning like he knew some great secret.

Gambit shot the glare his way and sneered, decidedly more angry and agitated, "_Monsieur_ Sinister would like ta grace ya wit' a demonstration."

Wolverine chuckled, liking that he was having such an obvious affect on the man, "What kind of demonstration? More of your card tricks?"

"_Non._" It was said like a curse, hands clamping on the table edge, knuckles going white.

Before Logan could continue, the Doctor appeared, smiling almost pleasantly as he took center stage, "Ah good, you have changed. Lay down now, my dear Gambit."

The man gulped hard and did as he was told, every muscle stiff. He didn't want to. He hated what was coming. He couldn't disobey. His body shook, convulsed before he could stop himself as the first wrist clamp was closed. His eyes squeezed shut so he wouldn't have to stare into that too-bright light.

There was no more mirth from any of the X-Men. Logan could smell the kid's fear. Utter terror. It was the same as his. The team couldn't look away. Morbid fascination, like unto watching a train wreck, kept their eye on the display as horrified realization began to spread through them.

"Is the light too much for you?" Sinister asked, almost sounding concerned.

Gambit nodded as his other wrist was locked down. His breathing decidedly more ragged now. He could feel tears forming. Wanted to blink them away. Couldn't. The light was too much.

The Doctor opened a drawer under the table and produced a pair of glasses, placing them over his patient's eyes. Carefully lifting his head and securing them in the back. They looked eerily similar to Cyclops' wrap arounds.

His ankles were locked in place. He gasped out, trying very hard not to hyperventilate.

"Stop it!" Jubilee nearly screamed. "You're hurting him! Stop it!" She was a bleeding heart.

The doctor glanced up at her and chuckled, pressing a hand to Remy's shoulder and giving a squeeze to comfort and calm the man, "My dear Ms. Lee, yes I do know who you are, I have yet to do anything to Remington that he is not a willing participant of. He has a dislike of operation tables due to his treatment in the Weapon program. An issue I could not prevent. I understand that it is a psychological condition many of those in the program suffer from."

If Gambit heard any of this, he gave no indication. He looked out of it. His hands clenching hard enough to draw his own blood. A trickle of which began to leak out. Jubilee felt sick.

Sinister placed a gas mask over Remy's nose and mouth. Hank recognized it as oxygen. That was good.

The doctor pulled out trays from under the table, instruments and vials of strange colored liquids appearing in an ordered fashion. He worked meticulously, not wasting a single movement before stepping around the table opposite of Beast, ensuring the mutant had a perfect view.

Essex smiled at his peer, "Doctor Henry McCoy, it is a pleasure to be your host today. I have decided to perform this demonstration for your benefit. As a fellow man of learning, prominently in the field of genetics, you will most assuredly appreciate the beauty of what I have been able to achieve. What I will continue to achieve."

"I do hope you'll accept my apology in advance, Doctor Essex, for finding myself disagreeing with your assessment of the situation," Hank replied, ever polite.

Sinister chuckled again and clasped his hands behind his back, "You are familiar with the Weapon program that your compatriot, the aptly named Wolverine, was a part of, yes?"

"Not particularly, no," he answered honestly. The doctor seemed to like to hear himself talk as much as Gambit had. Keep him talking, wait for a distraction. Maybe a last minute rescue by forces from home. Rogue was good for those. He hoped.

Essex looked surprised and glanced between Logan and Beast, "Well then. It seems an explanation is in order. For you to understand what I am doing, you must be made familiar with that particular period of government wish-fulfillment."

Gambit seemed to be relaxing as the talking went on. Hank couldn't see if his eyes had shut. It was possible, the oxygen was laced with a sedative.

Logan growled. He couldn't do much more.

"Don't you ever wonder what it was that produced the man you are?" Sinister paused, then continued, "No matter. You see, Stryker was interested in mutants. His son was a mutant. He wanted to 'fix'" - the man's lip curled at the very idea - "the mutant 'disease'. Using other mutants to do so. The Weapon program.

"I joined easily enough. Faking records that gave me a more acceptable birth date and background. The other doctors I worked with were amateurs in comparison," He was pacing the room now, enraptured by his own monologue. It was so terribly cliché. And rather terrifying. "None of them understood the mutant genome the way I do. They couldn't appreciate the elegance inherit in the perfect, undiluted DNA strands they had access too. It was all I could do not to kill them all in frustration.

"I had to hold myself back, make it so I wasn't called on to be the lead researcher, too much in the spotlight for my preferences. But still be valuable enough to have access to the genetic specimens I so desired.

"Stryker, for his part, was obsessed with you, Mr. Logan. A foolish obsession. He was convinced you were the end all and be all of human weapon perfection. He was wrong."

Sinister's gave fell almost lovingly toward the man strapped to his operating table, "Make no mistake, Mr. Logan, your genetic structure is most intriguing. Your predisposition for accelerated healing joyfully separate from your more animalistic traits. Much more useful then Mr. Creed's. His is far too muddied with his feral tendencies. But your genes do not hold the keys to making the perfect mutant.

"His do," a hand reached out and gently swept a few stray hairs from Gambit's head. Essex looked up at Wolverine, grin splitting his face before he turned is attention back to Beast. "You see, Mr. McCoy, Remy has the singular ability to produce biokinetic energy. You understand the relation of potential and kinetic energy?"

Hank nodded, "Kinetic energy is produced when an object is in motion. Basic Science, Doctor."

The man tilted his head in acknowledgment, "Indeed. And Remy is quite lucky I was there to discover his genetic structure and alter the records to make his potential look so inconsequential that when he finally escaped, Stryker saw no reason to go after him. The world is quite lucky. I am quite lucky.

"As I said, Remy has the ability to produce biokinetic energy. He can use to convert the potential energy inherent in any object into kinetic energy. This is usually released most explosively. I know you've see an example of that already. He was smoking in here earlier," he practically beemed, as if sharing the world's greatest secret.

Keep him talking, thats what Beast needed to do. "I apologize again, Doctor, but I find myself failing to follow your train of thought."

Sinister frowned and sighed, "Of course. I should not have hoped that you would be able to see without being drawn a map."

Hank let the insult slide. He followed quite well. But he needed to keep the man talking.

"In layman's terms, he can force an object into motion, charging it with the energy it would produce once actually in motion and manipulating the direction and speed of the object. If he forces the object to stay put, the charge builds to the point that the molecules within it tear it apart from the need to use that energy. Explosions usually follow. With enough training and concentration, Gambit could charge individual atoms, forcing them to tear themselves apart."

That got the point across. The X-Men as a whole sucked in their breath and Sinister's smile returned, "A walking, talking, card playing nuclear bomb with a penchant to mouth off to his superiors. I couldn't let Stryker and his foolishness destroy such potential. He has yet to achieve it, incidentally." The doctor finally picked up one of the vials of liquid and inserted a syringe.

"I found him again a couple years after the Program was shut down. He was undergoing secondary mutation. Destroyed a theater in Seattle. Ninety-two dead. Simply put, he couldn't control it. His body was not advanced enough physically to do so. I offered him that control.

"In the subsequent years, he has come to serve me quite well, in return for the treatment he needs to continue to control his abilities. That is what this procedure is about. He is undergoing near constant gene therapy to keep his body from releasing enough power to wipe out the western half of the United States."

It all sounded so simple. So benign.

Sinister inserted the needle into the skin above Gambit's heart, the purple liquid within emptying slowly into the man's body.

"I was most ecstatic to get my hands on your genetic structure, Mr. Logan," Essex continued. "Through his use of biokinetic energy, Remy can make his body work faster than even the average mutant. Giving him hightened agility. Heal himself as well. But such healing is nothing in comparison to your ability. Today's session is to integrate the purer strand of your DNA containing your healing ability into Remy's DNA structure. To work with his own biokinetic field. It will make further therapy much easier on his body, cutting the recovery time in half and allowing him to continue to be useful to me beyond being such a glorious specimen.

"I would attempt to integrate Mr. Wagner's teleportation ability, but it is tied directly with the physical expression of his mutation. And that is simply not useful enough to corrupt such a near perfect genetic structure."

It was morbid curiosity that made him ask. Essex was right, Hank was fascinated by this. By the seemingly simple ability to manipulate a person at the genetic level. It was sickeningly beautiful. So he had to ask, "What happened to his eyes?"

The others were thinking it, of course. Wanting to know. Trainwreck.

Another syringe was filled. A green liquid. The needle stuck in the soft skin below Gambit's chin, "Gene therapy. When brining out his body's own latent ability to handle the power he was born with, it was always there, recessive, the eye discoloration expressed itself. Also recessive. Direct connection. Unfortunately it made his eyes much more light sensitive. In anyone else I would find it a dissapointing drawback on the genetic level. I suppose it's useless sentimentality that keeps me from feeling such."

"Why are you telling us all this?" Bobby finally asked. "You're like some movie villain telling us his great plan."

Sinister chuckled, "That would be an apt comparison if I was actually telling you my 'great plan', as you put it, Mr. Drake. Remy's development is a pet project. But it is only a stepping stone in my life's goal. And you have yet to hear anything that could lead to a glimpse of insight as to what that is. Though I am willing to give you a hint if only for the amusement of watching such a pathetic intelligence as yours attempt to figure it out."

The room waited as a third syringe was filled. Red liquid, arm this time. Gas mask removed.

Gambit awoke to Sinister looking most pleased with himself. His head didn't hurt like it usually did. Essex unlocked the restraints, helped his patient sit up. The glasses stayed on for now. The doctor put away his tools and walked to the exit.

"So what's the hint?" Bobby called after.

Essex paused and looked at him, smug grin splitting his face, "The death of those you call Morlocks was a stepping stone as well."

**::: :::**

**End Chapter**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sinister Intentions**

A X-Men: MovieVerse Fanfiction

Written by RogueMoon

Chapter Seven

**::: :::**

Rogue was off the phone with Ms. Frost not ten minutes before the intercom at the front door buzzed, announcing the arrival of a guest. A bit confused because there were no scheduled visitors, and Emma would probably take a couple hours to arrive, she still answered professionally, "Xavier's School for the Gifted. How can we help you?"

"It's Emma. Do be a dear and let me in."

The southern girl stared at the intercom. Emma wasn't a teleporter.

"Hello? It's rude to keep one's guests waiting." The voice was just as haughty and self important as it had been over the phone.

Rogue didn't think she'd end up liking this woman at all, "I'll be right down, Ms. Frost."

No return answer as she left the office and headed to the front entrance. Two figures could be seen beyond the glazed glass of the doors. Rogue put on her best smile and opened the door, "Hello Ms. Frost. Thank you for coming so quickly. And this is?"

Emma, all long legs and blond hair entered, followed by an equally pretty girl with lavender skin and dark pink hair. Both were dressed in white suits. The older woman smiled politely, "Clarice Furguson. Codename Blink. Teleporter. I thought she might be useful. You did say this was urgent. You can take me to Cerebro now."

Rogue definitely didn't think she'd like this woman. Forcing that smile to stay on her face, she did need the woman's help after all, she closed the door behind the two and began walking, "Right this way, Ms. Frost, Ms. Furguson."

**::: :::**

Emma was disdainful of the room, commenting on how utterly unfashionable the interface was. Charles never having a real sense of style and other petty insults. But she sat down at the console all the same. Put the helmet on, started her scan on the Blackbird's location and moving outward.

She didn't actually find them. What she found was a lack of mental patterns and thoughts where there should be some. A void in the astral plane. Just as much a giveaway as to their location as their thoughts would have been. But it was a large expanse. Couldn't pinpoint it well enough.

"Blink can take us to the Blackbird and we can move from there," she commented dryly, leaving Cerebro and heading towards the locker rooms.

"We?"

Emma looked back at Rogue, smug, "Yes. We. You, me, Blink and whomever else in this school you believe would be an asset in recovering the X-Men. I will not be engaging in any confrontation, of course. But mental networking, I have found, is an invaluable communication tool. No need for radios or hand signals.

"Or are you concerned that I included you? You took the cure, Rogue, you didn't stop being a fully capable strategist and leader. Really, the X-Men are wasting a valuable asset, leaving you off the active roster. Though it was most fortunate today. You were smart enough to get me."

She started walking again, knowing her way from scanning the minds of others. Using her gift with little regard for moral issues.

Rogue reassessed her thoughts on the woman. She probably wouldn't like her, but she put up with her. She followed after. Found spare uniforms for Blink and Frost. Emma's was a bit small in the chest, so she claimed, and left the zipper down. Exposing a lot more cleavage than necessarily helpful. Unless a person was staring in a porno.

"White Queen, dear," she laughed at Rogue, "And I'd be playing the dominatrix if I ever found the need to lower myself to such a degree just to make some money."

The southern girl frowned and mutter to stay out of her mind before heading to the war room, "The others I'm pulling will meet us there."

**::: :::**

Gambit was currently doing a handstand on the edge of the operating table. Slowly shifting his weight to bend his legs and have his feet touch the back of his head. Lines as clean as gold-metal gymnast. He had been at this, showing off his flexibility for the last hour.

The X-Men were getting used to his company and had been carrying on a fairly enjoyable conversation. Gleaned a bit more information about him and Sinister.

The demonstration would commence again in an hour. After the treatment had time to settle and work through Gambit's system. He had to stay so they knew nothing else was done in the meantime. The collar he wore was different than theirs. Didn't suppress the X gene. Just kept him from charging. Had to wear it for the duration of the wait too.

He loved Star Trek. Big fan. Conventions and all. Favorite artist was M. C. Escher. Enjoyed his Italian period the most. Favorite piece was the Tower of Babel, a 1928 woodcut. Had the original over his bed. Not his room at the lab, but at his place. He didn't live in the lab, just kind of meandered through.

Flirted like crazy. Joked and generally made a fool of himself. He'd show them some card tricks, but Sinister hadn't let him bring any for today's visit. Raised Catholic. Hadn't been to church or given confession in years. Any priest he talked to would probably get a heart attack from it anyway. Kurt was just as amused by the admission as he was saddened.

Hank idly thought that had they not been prisoners of the man he worked for, the man before them could have fit in well at the School. Jubilee and Kitty had similar ideas, but for entirely different reasons. Eye candy wasn't hard to find at the School. But eye candy that showed off and flirted without a seconds thought was.

Logan was just plain pissed. Had stopped talking. Grunted and growled. Felt really ill. Was sweating more than he should be. Ororo looked worried for him, but was doing her best to play interference between Piotr and Bobby and Gambit. The two X-Men were being more antagonistic than the situation called for. And she knew it was because the girls were responding to the flirtatious Cajun.

She wished she could get to her lockpicks.

**::: :::**

Blink teleported them into the Blackbird. Rogue settling in at the controls immediately, checking the status of the machine while the others waited. Emma sat down in the co-pilots seat and leaned back, shutting her eyes. Established the mind-link network.

It felt funny at first. But then just settled into the background and everyone could talk to the others like they were in the same room. No shouting. No whispering. Just regular talking. Without moving their mouths.

Rogue had brought in three of the more advanced students for the mission. Promoted them to the active roster. Codenames received with excitement: Sooraya Qadir – Dust, Josh Foley – Elixir, and Tabitha Smith – Boom Boom. Dust was the only one not in uniform, though Emma being in uniform was highly debatable.

Elixir joked that he was the luckiest guy ever to be the only man on a team of girls. Tabitha responded that he'd be right, if there were anything other than girls on the team. Laughter and good humor.

_...Okay guys. This is serious now. Codenames only from this point on. White Queen?_

_Here, my dear. Just follow the mental prodding. It will lead you toward the void in the astral plane. Its not far. Below a warehouse and... oh my. There's another telepath._

Rogue led the others out of the plane and as stealthily as possible in the direction the metal prodding pushed them. _They know you're there?_

_I do not believe so... How odd._

_What?_

_It is nothing really. Just a feeling that I've met this one before._

_But no idea who?_

_Sorry darling, I've met a lot of telepaths. Several of them quite strong. Ah... they are aware of us. Ground sensors, not a mental alert, don't worry. You will be met with some opposition. A woman and three men. The woman's power is sound based.... Vertigo. One of the men is a sharpshooter... Scalphunter. Oh he does sound nasty. One has a power that is touch based... Scrambler. And the last is... odd. The last has decided not to join the party. He's going back underground._

_Was it the telepath?_

_No. It was a more feral mind. Savage. He intends to do some damage to someone. I might have to wash my mind out later._

Rogue frowned and nodded, the warehouse was in front of them now, _ Boom Boom, blow the door. Dust, as soon as the door is open I want a full sandstorm. Suffocate enough knock them out. Once you're finished, we'll regroup and move forward. Elixir, stay to the back. If you have to defend yourself, do so. But I want you to avoid combat. No need to exhaust yourself when we might need you to heal every one of the Senior Team. Blink, you're Elixir's cover._

Mental affirmatives and a really out of place 'Let's party!' from Tabitha followed.

**::: :::**

A muffled explosion echoed down from somewhere above the X-Men. Gambit was instantly alert to possible danger, his body shifting from goofing off to combat ready in a smooth motion. He opened the door and looked down the hall.

Creed was walking toward him, "We're under attack. I'm supposed to guard them with you. They'll be the last to evacuate if the others can't stop whoever it is."

Remy nodded and pulled the door open to let Victor in, eyes focused on the hall beyond as another explosion shook the building a bit harder and some of the lab technicians ran through the visible intersections. He was unprepared when Sabertooth grabbed him by the back of the neck, claws digging in, and slammed him against the wall before dropping him.

The X-Men reacted, yelling at Creed in lieu of being able to do anything else. The feral man just laughed, "Don't worry, you'll all get your turns."

Remy was pushing himself off the floor, trying to get his feet under him so he could fight properly when Victor grabbed him again, claws in both sides, and lifted him overhead, slamming him face first onto the operating table. He had no time respond before he was flipped over and the first of his wrists were securely clamped down, encased in metal.

Gambit punched the man with his free hand and kicked him in the head, an awkward shot that didn't let him get much force behind it. Creed growled, grinning ear to ear. He raked his claws across Remy's face, blinding him with blood and pain.

His other wrist was imprisoned. He thrashed against is bonds. Legs kicked blindly. He didn't scream. He wouldn't give Creed the satisfaction. Tried to ignore the rising panic.

He felt his left leg break, claws tearing into his thigh and twisting the bone in opposite directions. He nearly passed out, causing him to go limp long enough for Victor to lock his ankles. He thought he could hear the X-Men shouting and beyond them.

Gambit tried to stay calm. To focus his mind. Call for help. Sinister was a spook.

Pain across his chest, the cut clean. Scalpel wound. His mind couldn't function properly. It was hard enough just to keep from screaming. Keep the memories away. Keep control.

Hot air at his ear, "I think the first thing I want to cut out of you is your eyes. Can't blow me up if you can't see now can you, runt?" Cold metal in his cheek, sliding under the skin. Fingernails pulling his eyes open.

Remy screamed.

**::: :::**

Sinister frowned. The scream had come from within the facility. It sounded familiar. He send a mental probe out, his Marauder's were unconscious. Couldn't find Creed. Always had trouble with him. Remy's mind was clouded by that ever present static. He was still with the X-Men. Odd. The X-Men's minds were panicked.

The important files and specimens were almost evacuated. His servants could finish the rest. Sinister left his chamber to investigate. His stride quick, but not hurried. The invaders had a telepath with them, hiding their minds. He could have taken the telepath on, easily broken the shield. But he saw no purpose to it. His lab had been compromised. Best to just let the attackers trash it and move on to a location they were not aware of.

He turned corner, heading to the holding cells, and collided with a golden skinned boy dressed in the uniform of an X-Men. So it was a rescue mission. Sinister looked past the boy, seeing no one.

The kid looked at up him, fear in his eyes, but the resolve to fight if needed. Essex smiled, the prisoners could wait a moment. "I do not believe we have had the pleasure of being introduced, young man."

"Elixir," He answered cautiously, confusion evident. "Who are you?"

"Doctor Nathaniel Essex."

The boy perked up, suddenly trusting, "A doctor? That's great! I heard a scream from down here and I think someone is getting hurt. I was trying to find them, to help so we could rescue them from this place."

Sinister chuckled and walked back the way the boy had come, "I heard the same scream as you, boy. I was just on my way to see about it as well. Come along if you like."

The boy followed, not even noticing that his mind link with the others had been severed. Sometimes it was just too easy.

**::: :::**

**End Chapter**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sinister Intentions**

A X-Men: MovieVerse Fanfiction

Written by RogueMoon

Chapter Eight

**::: :::**

_Oh dear... Rogue, darling. I'm sorry to tell you, but Elixir has been cut from our network. The other telepath found him._

The X-Man didn't stop moving as she ghosted along the walls of a long corridor, giving each room they crossed a cursory glance, Dust and Boom Boom behind her. _You couldn't stop him? Blink, what happened? You're supposed to watch his back._

_He's a powerful telepath, Rogue..._

_He?_

_Yes. He. I got a better feel for his mind when he severed the connection. I received two conflicting images from Elixir prior to losing him._ She sent both along the link. One of a man who could have have walked straight out of a comic book and another of a tall, older man with dark hair dressed like a doctor, white coat and all. _I think the telepath fed him an illusion, but I'm not sure which image it is. And I have met this one before. But it's been years since I touched this mind._

_Can you place a name?_

_Unfortunately, no._

Rogue actually stopped, frowning to herself, frustrated. _Fine. Blink?_

The quiet girl sent a frustrated growl, _We got ambushed. I teleported us both away and we got hit again as soon as we appeared. Gun turrets. He ran like he was supposed to. I was right behind him. He turned a corner and when I rounded it, he was gone. I'm still looking for him._

_Come get us and take us to where he was hit by the telepath. That will be the best place to start._

An affirmative and the sound of a 'blink' in the hall next to Rogue followed. The three X-Men stepped up to the girl. _White Queen, you know where he was hit right?_

_Of course dear, I've already told Blink._

The sound of the teleporter activating her power and they were in another long hallway, an intersection just behind them.

_Dust, spread out._

The girl collapsed into sand and spread out in every direction, sending tendrils of herself out to search. _Here. I see the team. They're down a nearby hall._ An image came of the comic book man from before walking quickly down a hall followed by Elixir. Beyond him was an open door to a room that held the X-Men, the team hanging from the walls like in some archaic dungeon. Sabertooth's back was to them and he was leaning over a body on a table.

Rogue, Boom Boom and Blink followed the Dust's body as she reformed. They ran.

**::: :::**

Sinister's steps were fast, but not hurried. A glare contorting his features as he made it to the door of the holding chamber. He lifted one hand, palm out, fingers stiff. A beam of red light shot forth and connected with Sabertooth's back, sending the man into the wall between Logan and Storm, "You have violated the terms of our contract, Mr. Creed."

The feral man shook himself, snarling at his former employer and lunged. Another beam caught him in his chest and sent him backwards again. This time he was forced through a jagged portal of light that appeared and then closed once he was through.

Sinister turned his attention to the body on the table, Elixir following behind. A curious look was on the boys face. He seemed totally unaware of anything or anyone, "Doctor? Where are we?"

Essex moved around the table, "We are in the holding cell containing the X-Men, child." He dropped the mental illusion.

Elixir reacted immediately, head swinging around, looking at the X-Men with wide eyes, "How... how'd we get here? Where'd they come from?"

He saw the mouths of the X-Men moving. They looked like they were shouting at him. He couldn't hear a word.

"They have been here all along. You seemed to believe you could help the man who was screaming," Sinister was pulling towels out of the storage beneath the table. "Why is that?"

The X-Man took a good look at the guy on the table, "Oh my god... what did they do to him?"

"You did not answer my question," Essex replied, voice edged with ice as he lay a folded cloth over the man's head, pressing firmly to try and stop the bleeding.

"I... I heal... that's my power. I can heal others."

The doctor looked up, his appearance wavered and a pale man with a fields of red for eyes and a blood red diamond on his forehead was standing there, "Then I suggest you heal this man."

The X-Men hanging from the walls were still trying to shout at him. He still couldn't hear them. Elixir realized the man must be a telepath. Xavier had demonstrated stuff like that before his death. It was part of an advanced metal shielding class that no longer existed. He gulped and nodded, moving to the table and gently laying his hands on the injured man's right arm. He closed his eyes and concentrated.

**::: :::**

Rogue and the others watched the comic book man dispatch Sabertooth like he was a bug to be crushed underfoot. They saw him talking with Elixir and made it to the room just as the boy touched the body on the table.

The comic book man looked up at them as they entered, red eyes narrowing, "And the calvary arrives. You have proved to be quite an annoyance. Take your companions and leave." He waved his free hand and the cuffs released the X-Men from the walls, the collars they wore popping open. Two men suddenly turned blue and a moment later became the familiar figures of Beast and Nightcrawler.

Logan's claws were to the comic book man's throat the next second, "Let Elixir go." He nodded absently at Rogue, "Nice to see ya, Stripes."

"While I am certain that you are usually met with cowering upon such a well practiced intimidation technique, I hardly find it threatening," the man replied in a bored tone, not even bothering to look at Wolverine. "He will leave once he has done what he can for Remy. Do not heal his eyes." The last was directed at Elixir.

The boy frowned, eyes still closed, "But the eye sockets are bleeding. If I heal the tissue he'll be better off. There will be less pain to deal with."

"Unless you can regrow his eyes, you will not heal them. Another half hour and he should be able to do that himself. His leg is still swollen along the femur, what is the problem there?"

"Broken. It'll have to be reset first. Otherwise he'll end up lame," Elixir opened his eyes and pulled his hands away, looking exhausted. "I got the cuts and bruises I could. Outside of the leg and his eyes, the rest were really superficial. But there's something else wrong with him. His body chemistry is out of balance."

"In what way?"

"I don't know. I've never encountered anything like it before. It just... it's hard to describe. It's like being dizzy cause you can't find your balance. Except its his cells that feel that way."

"Intriguing," was the only reply. Logan's claws were still at his throat.

Storm moved around the now overly crowded room to Rogue and nodded at the pink haired girl, "Who is this?"

"Her name is Blink, she's on loan to us. Along with the White Queen. What's up with the guy on the table? He coming with?"

Wolverine growled and stabbed his claws into the comic book man, who looked down at the metal spikes in his chest and frowned, "Really now. That was entirely uncalled for. I released you. You are free to go. The boy has done all he can, apparently. You test my patience with such childish actions."

"You helped do this to me. Thought I'd give you a taste," Logan hissed as the others moved away to give him room. He pulled his claws out sideways, twisting them to tear a the comic book man's arm out of its socket.

The arm came easily enough, but there was no blood and it stayed attached to his body by a dark almost metal gray strip of something. Not flesh exactly, but it moved like liquid as it pulled the arm back and reattached itself to the main body.

The X-Men were all on the other side of the room from him now. Storm looked aghast, "By the Goddess... What are you?"

He threw his head back and laughed. The comic book descriptor was apt, but it in no way conveyed exactly how terrifying actually facing a man like that was. He looked at Storm, red eyes burning like the pits of hell, the grin of a hungry shark, "Sinister."

Rogue moved to the front of the group, "Yeah. Sure. You go and be Sinister, we're leaving. Blink, now."

The large press of bodies disappeared with a 'blink', leaving the doctor alone with Remy.

Minutes later, as he was setting the leg bone so it could heal properly, he heard the 'blink' again. He looked up in time to see the pink haired girl throw a dart of some sort at the man on the table, the two disappearing as it hit.

There was nothing left of the room when Sinister was done expressing his anger. The base destroyed itself shortly after.

**::: :::**

"Oh my stars and garters," Hank muttered as the body of Gambit appeared in his medical lab, Blink next to him. "Miss Furgenson, was it?"

She smiled and nodded.

"What is this all about?"

She shrugged, "Ms. Frost said it could be useful to bring him for questioning. Get some more information about that Sinister guy out of him since he seemed so interested in keeping him alive. But he's hurt pretty badly, so I brought him here."

Hank pulled his glasses off and cleaned them, "I see. Would you do me a favor? In the future, please discuss such decisions with the rest of the X-Men, whether Ms. Frost does or not. It would be helpful to at least have a warning."

She grinned and nodded again before disappearing with that signature sound. McCoy hurried over to the man and began hooking him up to monitors and checking him over, hoping for the boys sake that the genetic alterations Essex had made to him would let him regain his sight. After a bit of debate, he removed the collar.

**::: :::**

Storm, Rogue and Logan sat in the war room. The others had already been debriefed and further reports and observations would be filed over the next day. After they got checked out by Hank and were allowed to get some sleep.

Logan was pacing, flexing his claws. He wasn't angry at anyone there. Just angry in general, frustrated. They were trying to decide what to include in the report to SHIELD. What to do about Emma and her renewed interest in their affairs. Storm was more concerned about a different issue entirely.

"Rogue," Ororo began quietly, "I... I do not want you to take this the wrong way. I am quite grateful for the rescue today. Your fast thinking in gaining the assistance of a telepath, as well as the good judgment in who to promote for the rescue are qualities I appreciate. But I am worried as to why you came along with them. You are at much larger disadvantage-"

Rogue stood up, throwing her arms up in exasperation, "Look, I don't mind being the back up Storm. But ya'll have got to stop treating me like I'm an invalid. Just cause I don't have my powers anymore doesn't make me any less capable."

"But if you got injured-"

"It'd be the same as if I got injured when I had my power. Unless Logan is there to pull from, I'd have nothing to help me but me. If I have no other mutant there to pull from, all I got is my two fists and my own ability to think and fight. Logan has overseen my training since the day I joined. I'm just as good as any other regular human black belt. I'm tired of being treated like a second class citizen when it comes to the team, 'Ro!" She finally let it out. Staring across the table at the shocked woman, hands pressed against the steel. Logan had stopped pacing, just watched them. "I'm good, 'Ro. And I'm fine with being the back up. But I want to be the Secondary Team Leader. I want back in the Danger Room to train with my team. And I want you to stop treating me like I'm some fragile piece of glass that will break if I happen to find my way into trouble just because I took the damn Cure."

Logan grinned and clapped slowly. The two woman looked at him, both shooting glares for the interruption. He grinned wider, "'Bout time you said something, Stripes. I'll have you on DR rotation tomorrow. You get the evening sessions. I think Dust, Boom-Boom and Elixir are good choices to start with. Pick three more and get yourself a full team by the end of the month."

He left the room, glad one of their issues was finally resolved. The rest could wait until he got a beer in him.

**::: :::**

**End Chapter**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sinister Intentions**

A X-Men: MovieVerse Fanfiction

Written by RogueMoon

Chapter Nine

**::: :::**

When Gambit woke up he was in pain. He was in pain and he was blindfolded and his hands were bound. The pain left quickly enough, like a headache fleeing before a heavy dose of Aspirin. But the weight on his head told him whatever was blinding him wasn't going to be easy to get off. It felt like a helmet of some sort. The cuffs his hands were bound in encased his fingers completely, all he could do was scratch his fingers along the inside of the housing and twiddle his thumbs. No way of seeing or touching making the possibility of blowing his way out a little too dangerous.

He was impressed at the foresight to say the least.

Gambit sat up, wobbly at first, getting his bearings. Feet, still bare, pressed against a cool metal floor. The bed he was on had a thin mattress indicating a medical facility or technologically advanced brig. Either was bad news for him as it meant that he wasn't with his lord and master. Sinister didn't see the point of padding the bunks.

He pulled his feet up and tucked them through the loop of his arms, using his toes to feel over the bindings on his wrists. After a few careful minutes of probing he found what felt like it could be a key hole. With a smirk he shifted his legs back down and took the time to listen to his surroundings.

He didn't hear anything except the electronic hum of the lights over head. Waiting a few more minutes, he raised his voice and shouted, "Anyone home?"

"It's about time you woke up," A voice answered immediately, echoing around him. Speakers in the walls or at least in each corner. Microphones as well, probably a video feed, though one that hadn't been paid attention to enough to notice when he first sat up. Good to know.

He grinned and tilted his head up, hoping he was facing the video for it to be seen, "What can I say? Your hospitality wit' de bed and all... had ta give it a go, oui?"

The voice was low enough, though distorted, for him to believe it belonged to a member of the male persuasion. Either that or they were smart enough to have a scrambler going. His money was on it being a man, no woman would have been able to keep their eyes off him while he slept, helmet or no. He still had his shirt off and what felt like the scrubs for pants.

There was no answer from the voice and he frowned, then shrugged it off. Whoever was going to question him was probably on their way down. That didn't leave him much time. He slipped his right leg through the loop of his arms and brought the hem of his pants to his mouth. It took a little bit of chewing, but he got through the fabric and to the thin wire hidden in the fold.

His teeth held onto it long enough to transfer it safely to the space between his toes. His other leg came up through his arms and then both pulled out until his feet rested on the cuffs. Left foot found the keyhole and guided the pick held in his right to the hole. His tongue stuck out the side of his mouth in concentration.

He heard the door to the room open just as the bindings popped open, releasing his hands. He grabbed at the helmet and tried to push it off. It didn't budge. Fingers traced over it frantically, looking for the release, but could not find it before his arms were pulled down, behind his back.

"Got ta say, homme," he grinned and turned his head towards the male body, "much as I like de femme holdin' on ta me like dis, I'm really not inta de whole threesome thing. Be much obliged if ya left while me and de belle get ta know each other better."

He heard a growl and the slide of metal. Wolverine then. The chuckle in his other ear was warm and low. Storm, from the feel of her body, just about as tall as he, long and lean. They said nothing else as they wrestled his hands back into the cuffs, twisting his arms to make it damn near impossible to pull his legs through. Then they sat him down. He heard the scrape of metal on metal, the sound of a body settling into a chair.

"So, bub," Wolverine flexed his claws in and out. "Here's the deal. We're going to ask you questions. You're going to answer."

"And if I don't?"

"You get hurt."

Gambit laughed, fell to the side and rolled off the bed as his body shook. Logan was growling, not liking that his threat was taken so lightly.

"Sorry, mon ami," the Cajun replied as he caught his breath, "But you an' I both know de X-Men aren't inta torture."

"The X-Men aren't."

"Is dat supposed ta scare me? 'Cause if it is, ya really got ta work on your technique, pup," his smirk stretched over his face, unconcerned as he pulled himself back onto the bed and leaked against the wall, one leg propped up in a lazy lounge.

"What will it take to gain your cooperation," the calm, breezy voice of Storm took over.

He would have winked at her, had he been able to see, "Now ya talkin' my language. You should let Stormy speak fa ya more often, Wolvie."

"My name is Storm."

"Feisty. I like dat."

"Do you ever stop that?"

He tilted his head, "Stop what, ma chere?"

"Flirting." Of course.

"Non," his smirk never wavered as he licked his lips and stretched his body just so, a clear invitation for her to take the top.

Wolverine's claws were at this throat, barely touching the soft flesh. His smirk changed to one of triumph and he sent the charge into the metal, the blood and bone it was linked to. He could feel the body light up. "Temper, temper, mon ami. You promise ta sheath dose claws o' yours an' I promise not ta paint dis room with ya insides."

The man growled, but Gambit could feel his body relax. He took the charge back and the claws disappeared, sliding back inside their housing.

"Now dat we got dat out o' de way, what say ya let me go and we forget this ever happened?"

"Despite your little display just now, you are hardly in a position to make demands," the weather witch replied.

"Dat's where ya wrong, chere."

"And why is that?"

"Because as long as ya hold on ta me, ya make yourselves targets for M'seiur Sinister. He goin' ta be coming fa me," he nearly whispered it, insane grin and not a care in the world. "He ain't de kind o' guy who kills jus' anyone. Specially his favorite little gene pool gathering in the shallows of de Xavier Institute. But ya make yourselves his enemy by takin' whats his, and he not de kind ta hold back when comin' ta get it."

"You make it sound like you belong to him," it was a question, clearly probing for more information.

He nodded and gave it to them, they'd have to learn sooner or later. Sooner would be better, it would mean less deaths on his behalf, "Oui. He be de lord and master. His little willin' slave, me"

"Why? Why would you wish to serve him?"

He shook his head, "I don't, chere. A body don't want ta be a slave, but a body does want ta live. And dis body is willin' ta do quite a bit ta keep himself alive, including dealin' wit' de devil himself."

"Is that it? You serve him because he keeps you alive?" She sounded like it was the most unbelievable thing in the world.

"Ya ever lose control?" The humor was gone from his voice, quiet, serious. "Ya ever touch a lover and watch dem light up like a sparkler on de forth o' July? Watch dem scream in pain 'cause their body be tearin' itself apart and try as you might ta stop it, ya can't take it back? De charge won't obey you? Ya ever see dem run inta a theater and have ta watch as dey go boom an' take de rest o' de building and everyone inside wit' dem? Until ya do, Stormy, ya have no right ta judge my decisions."

He ignored them after that, lay down on the bed and turned his body toward the wall. They left in silence and he was fine with that. Sinister would come for him soon enough. He just hoped he could keep the damage to a minimum when he did.

**::: :::**

"He's a lot like Rogue," Ororo said, arms crossed as she watched the man lay there like he had for the past half hour since they left him.

Logan scowled, "He's nothing like Rogue."

The weather witch looked at him, "That wasn't an insult to Rogue, Logan."

"Then what was it?"

"An observation. Neither of them could control their power. Both took the most extreme option available to do so, albeit on opposite ends of the spectrum. Rogue the cure, he service to a monster in exchange for continued control."

Logan grunted.

Storm sighed, "Who's on rotation to take him meals?"

"Kurt and Bobby and Hank when he wants to check up on the kid."

"He has a good soul."

Wolverine raised an eyebrow at her, "What makes you say that?"

"He went to this Sinister person because he didn't want to kill anyone anymore. He told the Morlock children to run, did not take part in the massacre, left an offering for the fallen."

"He also didn't stop the massacre."

"He might not have been allowed to," She replied calmly. "He referred to Sinister as his lord and master, after all."

"It still doesn't matter."

"Of course it does, Logan," Storm turned back to watching him on the monitors, "If the only reason he is serving the man is to keep control, than perhaps we can offer him an alternative."

"You want to recruit him?"

"We took you in." A smile softened the statement.

Logan grunted.

**::: :::**

Kitty giggled next to Jubilee as she replayed the security video from Gambit's cell. Starting with the time he woke up to the time he rolled over and ignored Wolverine and Storm. She couldn't get the sound feed, but the girls didn't need it, the view was good enough.

"Play that part again!" The Asian girl squealed, only to be quickly shushed by her friend. They glanced around and made sure no one else in the computer lab was paying attention to them. Then Kitty played the part again.

"I so, like, need a screen shot of that for my computer's wallpaper."

"Screen shot of what?" Rogue asked, coming up behind them and looking at the screen. Her jaw dropped at the sight of Gambit, bound and blinded and stretched out with a come hither look, his body screaming sex. "Oh, mah gawd..."

"I know, right?!" Jubilee giggled and hugged Rogue's arm. "It's like, totally hot."

"Where did ya'll get that?"

Kitty raised her hand and grinned proudly, "There's no computer that can keep me out. Screen shot taken and sent, Jubes. You now have it in high quality jpeg format sitting in your inbox. You want it too, Rogue?"

"What? I... no!" She blushed furiously and turned away.

"I think the lady doth protest too much," Kitty quipped and clicked a bit on the key board, "There you go. A copy is in your inbox as well."

Rogue was red and furious as she turned back around, "What? I said no!"

"Your mouth said no, your body said 'HELL YEAH'!" The Jewish girl high-fived Jubilee. The screen shut down as Storm entered the room. The three girls parted and Rogue rushed from the room, praying Ororo didn't notice how flushed she was.

"Rogue!" Storm's voice stopped her and she took a deep breath before turning around and trying to look like she hadn't just been staring at what could easily qualify as soft core porn.

"I would like to speak to you about Gambit."

Rogue felt herself flush red and looked down at her feet, "Wh-what about the swamp rat?"

"Swamp rat?" Ororo questioned, approaching her.

"His accent. It's from the swamps. Cajun."

"Oh. I see." Clearly she didn't. "I was hoping you could talk to him."

Rogue looked up in surprise, "What?"

Storm smiled back, "Logan and I have discussed the matter and we believe that he is only working for this Sinister person because he is offered a measure of control over his powers. I know you took the cure because you felt that you could not be helped, but he has obviously made headway where you did not. I was hoping that, with how you came to be a part of the X-Men, you could try to convince him to join us. I am going to be speaking with Elixir and Boom-Boom about meeting with him as well. I am hoping by providing a broad range of experiences we can present a united front of acceptance and aid to him."

"You want me ta help recruit him?" She was sure she didn't just hear that.

"In so many words, yes."

Right. She had. "I... I guess. Sure... I mean, when I have some time..."

Storm smiled and nodded, "Tomorrow, in the morning if you can. Take him breakfast, he'll need to be fed due to how we've had to restrain him. Bobby and Kurt can help you with that. I believe Kurt is the one assigned to take him morning meals."

"Breakfast it is," She smiled halfheartedly.

**::: :::**

**End Chapter**


	10. Chapter 10

**Sinister Intentions**

A X-Men: MovieVerse Fanfiction

Written by RogueMoon

Chapter Ten

**::: :::**

Breakfast came too soon as far as Rogue was concerned. She was up at six thirty with Kurt, in the kitchen making an easily digestible meal: Lucky Charms and milk. They didn't waste time walking down to the holding cell, the blue and fuzzy one teleporting them down in a puff of sulfur and smoke.

Rogue coughed as much as their prisoner did upon arrival.

"Mon dieu! Are ya tryin' ta poison me now?" the Cajun complained as he gagged at the smell and tucked himself against the wall behind the bed.

"Apologies," Kurt replied, not at all sounding sorry, "It iz a by product of my powers."

"Oh, oui... de demon priest," Remy grinned and lifted a foot in a feat of contortionism to scratch the bottom of his chin. His hands bound too awkwardly behind his back to allow him proper use. "Ya didn't happen ta bring a razor, did ya? Dis bayou boy grow hair on his chin faster dan de bearded lady. Got ta pee, too. You goin' introduce your friend? Sounded like a femme."

"Ya'll talk a lot, don't you, swamp rat?" Rogue commented with acid in her voice.

He laughed at that, big and genuine, "Been a long time since I been called dat, chere. Ya goin' ta take me ta de bathroom? Wouldn' mind a belle voice like you helping take care o' business."

If Kurt's face could have paled, it would have. Before he had a chance to defend the girl, Rogue set the food down and punched the man in the arm.

"Ow! What de hell was dat for?"

"For being a pervert."

"You be de one's binding my hands. Can't exactly piss right wit' dem behind my back and I certainly can' clean myself up!" He responded with indignation rendered moot by the flirtatious grin on his face. "Besides, dis ya chance ta fondle me an' be de envy o' all your friends."

Another punch followed and he rolled away from it, laughing just as hard as before.

"Kurt will help ya'll in the toilet, swamp rat. I'm just along ta feed ya."

Remy jumped up to his feet and danced towards the door, "In dat case, we best be gettin' dis over wit'. Not inta men, specially priests, fondlin' me. Brings back de memories of goin' ta confession when I be a pup."

Kurt looked thoroughly scandalized, mind instantly going to the worst possible scenario, "I assure you, I am notzing like zat!"

"Oh, oui... oui... dat's what Father Martine said," Gambit teased with a shit-eating grin. "Den he try ta get me ta feel guilty for all dose pockets I picked and de food I stole from dumpsters and how I be livin' in sin. All ya priests be de same. Tryin' ta make a man repent for what makes him happy. We can discuss dis while I piss. Just get me ta de bathroom, oui?"

Kurt grabbed his arm and bamfed from the room leaving Rogue alone. She sat down on the bed and looked directly at the camera, "Storm, just so you know. I'm going ta kill ya one of these days for this. And I'm pretty sure I can get Kurt to help me dispose of your body."

**::: :::**

"Are ya seriously tryin' ta recruit me?" Gambit laughed, head lolling over the edge of the bed, the rest of him stretching out at odd angles. He kept constantly changing position, as if he simply couldn't sit still. He had finished eating, being spoon fed by Rogue, only minutes before, flirting the entire time and licking the spoon clean in a suggestive manner after every bite. They were alone, Kurt having left after he returned the man from the bathroom, the German had other duties to attend to. "Chere, much as I like de attention, de X-Men ain't got de means ta help me. And ya be far too goody-goody for a man like me."

"You could stop stealin'," Rogue replied and got another laugh in return.

"Stop? Why de hell would I want ta do somet'ing like dat?"

"You honestly enjoy being a thief?"

"Every minute of it, chere. Every minute!"

Rogue frowned, crossing her arms, "And you like being a slave to Sinister too?"

Gambit stopped laughing and sat up properly in a fluid motion that was like watching poetry come to life. She couldn't see his eyes, but he was suddenly very serious, his body still as he leaned forward, "Non. But he be de only one dat can keep my powers in control. Unlike you, I ain't so afraid and ashamed of mine."

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Rogue hissed back, anger barely contained.

"Of course not. How could I possibly understand what its' like ta be afraid o' touchin' another person? Of killing dem because I can't stop my power from makin' dem pop like a balloon? Difference is, petite, I didn' run away from dem. Hell, if I had your power, I'd be better off, I'm thinkin'."

"Better off? You wouldn't be able ta handle it! You flirt non-stop, act like a slut with how you throw yourself at women. You couldn't get by without touch!"

"Problem wit' you, chere, is you just not creative enough. Plenty o' ways around touchin' skin ta skin'. All o' dem kinky and more arousin' den two bodies naked and goin' at it de way nature intended. I had your powers, I be just fine."

She slapped him, hand leaving a stinging red welt on his cheek. Seconds later, her lips were crushed under his, his legs having lashed out and pulled her against him by her waist. His kiss was not kind, not gentle. It was brutal and primal and it scared her how much she didn't want it to stop, how her arms wrapped around his neck and she pressed into him, pushing him onto his back, feeling him.

Bobby had never kissed her like this, not even after she had taken the cure. Something had still been missing when they touched and the make out sessions always left her wondering if the touch she had wanted so desperately was really worth it. If the electricity and passion that her bodice rippers talked about where just that: fantasies that didn't exist except on the printed page.

Gambit had just made her believe in the magic. She couldn't stop herself and she didn't want to and it made her even more angry at him. He was so full of himself, so confident that every woman wanted him and here she was proving him right as her hands frantically unlocked the helmet and pushed it off so she grab his hair and hold him to her. She hated him. His hips ground up into hers. She wanted him.

"Rogue!" Logan's strangled shout of disbelief brought her to her senses and she pushed herself off the Cajun.

He laughed with good humor and groaned in unfulfilled sexual need, body quivering as he looked at her through half-lidded eyes that screamed at her senses. Imploring her to ignore the voice on the speaker and come back to him. Come back and have the ride of her life. His hands were still tied, he'd be at her mercy, would let her do whatever she wanted.

She licked her lips and gulped, fleeing from the room without thinking, needing to get away from him. From those eyes that burned into her and made her _burn_. Those beautiful, dangerous, devil eyes. The Morlocks were right. He was the Devil Man.

**::: :::**

Gambit waited until his heart stopped pounding and the blood stopped rushing south before he sat up and grinned, finally able to get a good look at his surroundings. His eyes picked up the single camera and in short order the lens exploded. A curse rung out over the speakers and he laughed.

Rogue had really pissed him off and when he got pissed off with a girl, it was either kiss and make up or leave. The second option hadn't been open to him, so he went with the first. It had been worth it. So unused to touch, even this long after taking the cure and she had been enjoyably eager. He just wished they could have sealed the deal before she ran off. He really didn't like being left like that. Logan would have to pay him back for that somehow.

After he got out of the mansion and back to Sinister. Remy wasn't sure how long it had been since he was taken, but it had been at least a day. Which meant his master was more than likely already on his way.

Gambit stood and popped his neck, rolling the muscles of his body and making sure they were all in good enough condition for this. It had been a while since he had attempted an escape with his hands bound. The seam of the door glowed and then popped, a light haze of smoke filtering off it as he kicked the metal so it fell forward into the hall beyond, the hinges and locks blown off.

Wolverine was already there, claws popped and Gambit grinned, ducking under the first swipe. He weaved out the the door and into the hall, giving himself more room to move. "Stay out of my way, Logan. I don' want ta make ya look like a poor copy o' M'seiur 'Tooth when I rearranged de lounge wit' his blood. I like you."

"What's stopping you?" Logan growled, lunging and missing as Remy tucked and rolled, then ran down the hall, picking his direction at random.

"Kind o' rather not be covered in guts when I get topside. Goin' ta draw enough attention wit' dese cuffs o' mine," He laughed back, ducking into an open room and getting a shocked look from Doctor McCoy as his lab was invaded. Remy paled and backed out into Logan's waiting arms, Adamantium bones reinforcing his strength.

Gambit glowered and the body behind him began to glow, red on black eyes becoming a blazing red, "Let me go, Logan. Don't think de bete would care ta lose his lab ta you going boom."

"You'd blow yourself up in the process if ya did that, Cajun."

The glow disappeared from Logan and took over the ceiling, "How 'bout I bring de roof down, den?"

"And risk hurting all the kids in the mansion above?" Logan laughed, "You ain't got the guts, bub."

Gambit snarled and kicked out at the doorway, one foot on either side, pushing him and Logan backward. He wanted the impact to Wolverine's back to loosen his grip enough to let him go. "You makin' a mistake keepin' me here! Sinister come for me an' de kids don't have a chance! Dey all become experiments in his lab. You be an experiment again!"

Logan didn't let go, "If you're that worried about it, then help us fight him! We can help you control your powers kid!"

Gambit tried to twist his body free, "Ya can' help! Xavier already tried!"

"What?"

"De professor already tried! He was de first I went ta see. He couldn' help me an' I nearly killed him too. Jus' let me go an' I work a deal wit' Sinister for ya lives."

Beast stepped out of his lab and adjusted his glasses, "Things have changed greatly since then, Gambit. I am not nearly as long lived and learned as Doctor Essex, but I am no slouch in the field of mutant genetics. I am certain that with your cooperation, I can continue the therapy that Sinister has begun with you and perhaps, with enough time, ensure you no longer need it."

Remy shook his head, "Essex and me, we have a deal. I break dat..."

"Then don't break it, kid," Logan said, "End it. He can't claim you if you aren't his to claim, right?"

"Not dat easy, Logan. You should know dat."

"Why? What kind of deal is this?"

Gambit stopped struggling and sagged in Logan's arms. He didn't want to talk anymore, he'd said too much already, "Jus' let me go. Before its too late."

"I am afraid, LeBeau, that it already is."

Logan dropped Remy and turned in shock to see Sinister walking towards them casually from the direction of Gambit's cell. He stepped in front of the Cajun, ready for a fight, "How did you get in here?"

"Your security is laughable, little man," the doctor replied as the alarms for the mansion went off and the screams of children as they entered the evacuation tunnels began echoing through the basement.

Storm's voice came over the loudspeaker, "X-Men assemble, we are under attack. The Cafeteria and lower housing block have been compromised. Assailants unknown but mutant in nature. There are not taking prisoners! Beast there are injured students on their way to you!"

Gambit pushed past Logan and locked eyes with his master, voice low as he became the very picture of submission, "Please M'seiur, call off de Marauders. Ya have me now, I come willingly."

Logan looked like he was going to attack them both, but Beast held him back and shook his head, eyes focused on the two. Wolverine focused on them and noticed something he hadn't just a moment before, Sinister's eyes were less bright than they had been, the red glow fading as Gambit continued to talk. Didn't the boy ever shut up?

"Dere be no need for more violence, oui? No need ta thin de blood here. It be a good resource, not worth de effort o' ruinin' over me. I not dat important... not enough ta hurt ya research, oui?" Remy had his head laying on Sinister's shoulder now, skin glowing a light pink as he kept eye contact. The fields of red he looked into dimmed to more human eyes a deep brown only slightly tinged with red. The scientist couldn't seem to look away. Gambit would pay for this later, once Essex realized what he was doing.

Sinister brought his hand to his mouth, "Objective achieved, leave now." One arm looped around behind Gambit and the flesh became liquid, covering the bindings. A small click sounded and his hand was back to normal, the cuffs falling away and giving Remy the freedom to move.

Gambit continued to focus his attention on his master, eyes never leaving the others'. Never blinking as he kept talking, kept charging the air around him, causing static that left Sinister's mind just unfocused enough to be susceptible to his words. Most people, he didn't have to use the charge with. But powerful minds like Sinister's had to have it to be effective and it always exhausted him afterward. He wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer, "You a good master... So good ta me, so forgivin' o' my moral follies... let's leave dem now, oui? Leave and go back ta de lab... back ta makin' sure I be okay an' everyt'ing be workin' right so I can serve ya properly, oui?"

A flash of light that spun outward, expanded, appeared behind the two and Essex stepped backward into it, pulling Remy with him, unable to disobey the suggestion. Once they were through, the portal disappeared and Storm's voice echoed over the loudspeaker as the first of the injured came down the hall, "X-Men, report! Cerebro has lost track of the hostiles, can anyone see them?"

**::: :::**

**End Chapter**


End file.
